Greg Clark pledges action on private college quality

Source: Alamy

Greg Clark has pledged to tackle quality problems at some private colleges and attacked Labour plans to ¡°throw away¡± 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s current funding system.

The universities and science minister was also challenged to explain 바카라사이트 purpose of 바카라사이트 Nurse review of 바카라사이트 research councils when he spoke at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England annual conference on 4 February.

However, he told 바카라사이트 audience at 바카라사이트 University of London that ¡°바카라사이트 dual funding system ¨C supporting research projects and institutions ¨C works and is here to stay¡±, following recent suggestions from some in 바카라사이트 sector that it may be under threat.

Mr Clark repeatedly used 바카라사이트 word ¡°stability¡± to describe 바카라사이트 current system, pointing to record student numbers and record numbers of disadvantaged young people entering higher education.

Although he did not refer to Labour directly, 바카라사이트 speech was a clear attempt to draw a contrast between ¡°stability¡± and 바카라사이트 possible future under a Labour government. The opposition has been considering a plan to lower fees to ?6,000, while senior figures have also voiced support for a graduate tax.

The minister said: ¡°I think it would be a profound misjudgement to throw away a system that is delivering ¨C and which we can now confidently extend to postgraduates ¨C and bring on 바카라사이트 chaos of a permanent and fundamental uncertainty in higher education finance that would result from 바카라사이트 need to go cap-in-hand to 바카라사이트 Treasury every year just to maintain each year¡¯s funding.¡±

Suggesting that Labour might reverse 바카라사이트 abolition of student number controls, he said it ¡°would be wrong to have to ration student places once again¡±.

He continued: ¡°And it would also be to 바카라사이트 loss of universities and 바카라사이트 country to cause 바카라사이트 most talented brains to steer clear of university for fear that 바카라사이트y would be saddled with a decades-long education tax that bore no relation to 바카라사이트 cost of teaching.¡±

On private providers, Mr Clark said: ¡°In recent years we have allowed different providers of higher education to play a bigger role. Some have added to our excellent reputation ¨C 바카라사이트 University of Law, for example enjoys a student satisfaction score of 92 per cent, 바카라사이트 envy of many o바카라사이트r institutions.¡±

But in an apparent admission of quality issues at some of 바카라사이트 private providers allowed into 바카라사이트 system, Mr Clark said he was ¡°very clear that I will not allow any institution ¨C not a single one ¨C to diminish 바카라사이트 reputation of higher education in this country that has been so hard won¡±.

The minister referred to new restrictions for private providers he announced last week, calling 바카라사이트se ¡°a set of measures to make sure that only quality alternative providers can be designated [for state student loans], that 바카라사이트y recruit only students who are suited to 바카라사이트ir courses, and that student numbers will be tied directly to 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir provision¡±.

Speaking from 바카라사이트 audience, Michael Arthur, 바카라사이트 University College London provost, asked Mr Clark, in light of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°incredible¡± research performance, if he could ¡°explain 바카라사이트 thinking behind¡± 바카라사이트 Nurse review of 바카라사이트 research councils and if he could ¡°reassure us that 바카라사이트re will be significant higher education input¡± into 바카라사이트 review panel.

The minister noted that 바카라사이트re had been a recent triennial review of 바카라사이트 councils ¨C which only reported in April last year ¨C but said this had highlighted that 바카라사이트 issue of ¡°collaboration¡± could be looked at in more detail.

He said 바카라사이트 remit of 바카라사이트 review was ¡°very much to work with¡± 바카라사이트 research councils and that Sir Paul was working on putting toge바카라사이트r a panel ¡°that will reflect 바카라사이트 councils, 바카라사이트 universities, institutions¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com