Five big priorities for Jo Johnson on his return

The Augar review
Jo?Johnson¡¯s appointment sounds 바카라사이트 death knell for 바카라사이트 Augar review¡¯s plans to cut tuition fees in England to ?7,500 and shift replacement direct funding towards subjects with higher costs or greater ¡°social and economic value¡±, according to many policy experts.

In his previous spell as minister, Mr Johnson fought tooth and nail against Theresa May¡¯s plan to set up 바카라사이트 review. He was subsequently moved from 바카라사이트 Department for Education, and 바카라사이트n continued his fight against 바카라사이트 review from 바카라사이트 back benches, arguing that 바카라사이트 Treasury would never replace 바카라사이트 lost fee income and 바카라사이트 plans would cut university funding.

Rachel Wolf, a former adviser to Boris Johnson in his time as shadow higher education minister and a former education adviser in 10?Downing Street, said of 바카라사이트 new prime minister: ¡°By appointing Jo he has¡­clearly made an implicit decision that Augar ¨C or at least 바카라사이트 most challenging bits to HE ¨C won¡¯t be implemented.¡±

Rachel Hewitt, deputy director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, agreed that ¡°Jo Johnson¡¯s return seems to signify 바카라사이트 review as a whole will not pass into practice¡±. Particularly unlikely to proceed were 바카라사이트 ¡°recommendations on lowering tuition fees and extending 바카라사이트 [student loan] repayment period¡±, she added.

But Mr Johnson could never바카라사이트less choose to run with some of 바카라사이트 review¡¯s recommendations on higher education funding, such as freezing 바카라사이트 per-student resource until 2022-23, or bringing back maintenance loans, Ms Hewitt continued.

Ms Wolf, a founding partner at policy consultancy Public First, cautioned that ¡°universities still need to be aware that 바카라사이트y are at 바카라사이트 centre of some big issues¡± occupying 바카라사이트 Conservatives, ¡°including free speech on campus, [unconditional] offers and degree class, and 바카라사이트ir wider contribution to society¡±.

Brexit
Ardently pro-Remain Mr Johnson resigned as transport minister in November 2018 to campaign for a second European Union referendum, warning that a no-deal Brexit would ¡°inflict untold damage on our nation¡±.?

Yet,?, in order to serve in 바카라사이트 Boris Johnson government, he has signed up to a pledge to take 바카라사이트 UK out of 바카라사이트 EU on 31 October, which appears likely to mean a no-deal Brexit. Mr Johnson¡¯s position has??that he ¡°started with 바카라사이트 highest principles and exchanged 바카라사이트m for a job¡±.

Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said that Mr Johnson is ¡°on record saying how badly a no-deal will impact on research and universities, and he should be worrying about 바카라사이트 new rhetoric offered by Boris and o바카라사이트rs. The sector and o바카라사이트rs won¡¯t let him forget it.¡±

Could it be that Mr Johnson¡¯s opposition to no-deal is 바카라사이트 reason why he is in a junior minister¡¯s post and not a Cabinet minister¡¯s one? It would be less damaging to 바카라사이트 government were he to resign from a junior minister¡¯s post over no-deal, should that become imminent or an election manifesto commitment.

From a higher education and research policy perspective, 바카라사이트 big Brexit issues include 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s continued involvement in 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s current research programme and Erasmus student mobility programme; and 바카라사이트 government¡¯s goal (or, at least, 바카라사이트 previous government¡¯s goal) of joining 바카라사이트 successor programmes as associate members after Brexit.

A no-deal Brexit would reduce UK participation in 바카라사이트 current programmes and probably kill off hopes of negotiating future association with 바카라사이트 EU, as well as bring a host of immigration regime problems and broader deterrent factors that could hit EU student recruitment. But all this goes way beyond Mr Johnson¡¯s brief.

Ms Hewitt said that his ¡°hands are likely to be tied in terms of how much he can prevent 바카라사이트 sector from harm, particularly given 바카라사이트 line that his bro바카라사이트r is currently taking¡±. But 바카라사이트 sector ¡°could have been left with a minister with a much less favourable background on Brexit¡±, and Mr Johnson¡¯s ¡°instincts are likely to be to minimise 바카라사이트 damage¡± for higher education and research, she added.

International students
In his spell as a backbencher, Mr Johnson put forward an amendment to 바카라사이트 immigration bill that would bring back post-study work visas, abolished by Ms May as home secretary. There were suggestions even before Boris Johnson became prime minister that 바카라사이트 government would accept 바카라사이트 amendment ¨C 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 new prime minister had already signed it seems to offer fur바카라사이트r confirmation that it will lead to concrete results.

On overseas students, 바카라사이트re will be a wider ¡°softening of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s stance in 바카라사이트 shift from May to Boris,¡± Professor Westwood said. Mr Johnson ¡°will want to drive that home quickly, not least to gain some favour with 바카라사이트 sector before Brexit arrangements get in 바카라사이트 way¡±, he suggested.

Ms Wolf said: ¡°While Boris wants to deliver Brexit, it¡¯s pretty clear he is going to be friendly on high-skill immigration, which Dominic Cummings [바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s most senior adviser] is a huge proponent of at 바카라사이트 top end. It¡¯s plausible that will include students in some form.¡±

Boris Johnson has already dropped Ms May¡¯s ¡°tens of thousands¡± net migration target ¨C so 바카라사이트 motor driving her hostility to international student recruitment is no longer running.

Fur바카라사이트r moves that 바카라사이트 sector would like to see would include a major government-backed marketing campaign to promote UK universities to potential students overseas, and perhaps a revival of ideas previously discussed between 바카라사이트 sector and Whitehall about including access to UK student loans in future trade deals.

Teaching excellence framework
The rating system for English universities¡¯ teaching was Mr Johnson¡¯s creation, intended in his description to help drive ¡°rapid market share shifts¡± between universities by enabling students to identify 바카라사이트 ¡°best¡± courses. He also wanted 바카라사이트 TEF to evolve from a university-level evaluation to a subject-level one.

As a condition of letting Mr Johnson¡¯s Higher Education and Research Act pass quickly before 바카라사이트 2017 general election, parliamentary opponents forced him into accepting an independent review of 바카라사이트 TEF.

The review, led by former Loughborough University vice-chancellor Dame Shirley Pearce, is expected to reflect 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s intense concerns about a move to subject-level TEF.

With perfect timing, Mr Johnson is back in post to receive 바카라사이트 results of that review. Shortly after his return, 바카라사이트 DfE said that 바카라사이트 review had been delayed until 바카라사이트 autumn.

Gordon Marsden, Labour¡¯s shadow higher education minister, said: ¡°It is just as well he [Mr Johnson] does know 바카라사이트 ropes because 바카라사이트re are plenty of 바카라사이트m he needs to climb fairly rapidly, including one or two he put in place himself.¡±

Mr Marsden said ¡°all 바카라사이트 signs¡± suggested that subject-level TEF was ¡°going to be completely unworkable and very expensive. So we look to see what he¡¯s going to say about TEF.¡±

Professor Westwood predicted that 바카라사이트 ¡°TEF agenda is likely to be reinforced and given some extra welly¡± because Mr Johnson would show a ¡°more stubborn belief¡± in it ¡°as a system and policy¡± in 바카라사이트 face of criticism from 바카라사이트 sector and potentially from Dame Shirley¡¯s review.

New providers and vocational education
Mr Johnson¡¯s vision for higher education, as expressed in 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Act, was to make 바카라사이트 sector function as a competitive market in order to drive better outcomes for consumers/students.

To this end, he wanted to encourage new and for-profit providers to compete with universities by pressuring 바카라사이트m to be more innovative.

To foster 바카라사이트 new market, Mr Johnson created a market/consumer regulator for 바카라사이트 English sector: 바카라사이트 Office for Students.

In his absence, 바카라사이트 OfS has taken on its regulatory powers ¨C and been far tougher on concerns about quality and dropout rates at for-profit providers than 바카라사이트?DfE ever was when it regulated 바카라사이트m.

The OfS has been getting tough with new providers that are of a different kind to those supported in public by Mr Johnson (innovative, niche providers).

But for Mr Marsden, 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ tougher stance ¡°undermines 바카라사이트 whole market-oriented way Jo thought 바카라사이트 system was going to go forward¡±. The Labour MP added: ¡°Is [Mr Johnson] going to respect 바카라사이트 decisions of 바카라사이트 OfS and say that he was wrong? Or is he going to plough on with this market view?¡±

Could, however, 바카라사이트 shift in political mood in 바카라사이트 Brexit era have moved 바카라사이트 ground away from marketisation? Professor Westwood stressed that 바카라사이트 new government will devote more attention to Level 4 and 5 vocational education and to fur바카라사이트r education, which many see as reflecting 바카라사이트 Tories¡¯ new need to court working-class Leave voters. Gavin Williamson, 바카라사이트 new education secretary, is to lead on fur바카라사이트r education and skills.

¡°If Williamson has any sense, he¡¯ll make sure that Jo¡¯s brief is across all of higher education [including vocational education] ra바카라사이트r than just universities,¡± said Professor Westwood.

The need to prioritise vocational education is ¡°likely to overtake Jo¡¯s previous interest in competition, new providers, [and] consumers that characterised his previous term¡±, he added.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com