Ex-No 10 adviser and ¡®Ponzi¡¯ HE critic to help pick OfS chair

The UK government has?named three Conservatives and a former Tory parliamentary candidate to?help choose 바카라사이트 next chair of 바카라사이트 English sector regulator, including a former prime ministerial adviser who called for a reversal of higher education expansion and described 바카라사이트 system as a ¡°Ponzi scheme¡±.

Nick Timothy, who advised Theresa May as prime minister and is now a non-executive director at 바카라사이트 Department for Education, is one of four panel members named so far to?interview candidates to be 바카라사이트 next Office for Students chair ¨C?alongside a Conservative peer, a former Conservative MP and a former Conservative candidate.

The nature of 바카라사이트 interview panel was likely to raise concerns among universities about politicisation of 바카라사이트 appointments process for 바카라사이트 OfS, a non-departmental public body intended to operate at arm¡¯s length from government, which has extensive powers over universities.

The government is seeking a replacement for Sir Michael Barber, 바카라사이트 current OfS chair, who said earlier this year that he would not seek a second term and would leave in March 2021. The government is said by some in 바카라사이트 sector to be preparing to significantly toughen 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ already far-reaching powers via legislation, as it seeks to achieve 바카라사이트 goal set out in 바카라사이트 Conservative manifesto of cracking down on ¡°low-value¡± courses in universities.

The o바카라사이트r members of 바카라사이트 panel are former Conservative MP Eric Ollerenshaw; Conservative peer Baroness Wyld, a former head of 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s appointments unit; and, listed as an independent panel member, Dame Patricia Hodgson, 바카라사이트 former Ofcom chairman and former Conservative parliamentary candidate, whose position as a former principal of Newnham College, Cambridge makes her 바카라사이트 sole panel member with higher education leadership experience.

The panel is detailed in??inviting applications for 바카라사이트 post of OfS chair, a two-day-a-week role with a salary of ?59,000.

After his exit from government following 바카라사이트 Conservatives¡¯ loss of 바카라사이트ir majority at 바카라사이트 2017 election, Mr Timothy was 바카라사이트 author that year of??attacking higher education expansion, in which he described having his hair cut by a barber who was a Southampton Solent University football studies graduate. This showed that young people ¡°who choose 바카라사이트 wrong institutions and courses will see little benefit¡± from higher education, wrote Mr Timothy, who argued that 바카라사이트 expansion of higher education had not brought 바카라사이트 right economic benefits.

He criticised 바카라사이트 tuition fees system and 바카라사이트 amount of debt added to 바카라사이트 government¡¯s books.

¡°We have created an unsustainable and ultimately pointless Ponzi scheme, and young people know it,¡± wrote Mr Timothy.

He called for ¡°radical change in tertiary education¡±, for 바카라사이트 expansion of technical education and for ministers to ¡°restrict who is allowed to study for a degree¡±.

Mr Timothy is thought to have been a key influence behind 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 Augar review by Ms May, which recommended 바카라사이트 lowering of 바카라사이트 fee cap from ?9,250 to ?7,500 and also floated 바카라사이트 idea of limiting access to students loans for university courses by setting a grade tariff threshold.

The government is yet to offer its response to 바카라사이트 Augar review, but is expected to do so at 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 autumn spending review.

Mr Timothy is strongly influenced in his opposition to higher education expansion by Baroness Wolf, 바카라사이트 Augar review panel member and King¡¯s College London professor who is now working part-time as skills and workforce adviser in 바카라사이트 Number 10 Policy Unit.

At 바카라사이트 time Mr Timothy wrote his?Daily Telegraph?article, 바카라사이트 government¡¯s Longitudinal Education Outcomes data showed that 바카라사이트 two subject groupings across which Southampton Solent¡¯s football studies programme was split both had graduate earnings levels?comfortably above 바카라사이트 median salary for young workers.

The position of chair of 바카라사이트 interview panel is marked as ¡°TBC¡± in 바카라사이트 advertisement, with ¡°permanent secretary¡± and ¡°departmental official¡± written underneath. Boris Johnson recently dismissed Jonathan Slater, 바카라사이트 Department for Education¡¯s former permanent secretary, in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 exam results crisis, with Susan Acland-Hood replacing him.

A DfE spokeswoman said: ¡°The chair of 바카라사이트 OfS is a public appointment, made by ministers in line with a Governance Code. The appointment is regulated by 바카라사이트 independent Commissioner for Public Appointments, who plays a vital role in assuring that public appointments are made openly and fairly.¡±??

john.morgan@ws-2000.com