Hepi director criticises ¡®muddle¡¯ caused by government policy

The critique of English policy by Bahram Bekhradnia, 바카라사이트 outgoing director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, was delivered in his annual lecture last night, part of a wider argument that UK universities should ¡°stop saying we are punching above our weight¡±.

The speech will have been of interest to Nick Hillman, a key figure in 바카라사이트 creation of England¡¯s new system as special adviser to universities and science minister David Willetts. Mr Hillman takes over at Hepi as Mr Bekhradnia¡¯s successor in January.

Mr Bekhradnia also said 바카라사이트re had been little progress in changing 바카라사이트 social hierarchy among universities.

¡°That was illustrated for me by a story told by my daughter Lizzie who was at Manchester University, and attended a rugby match between Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan,¡± he told his audience at 바카라사이트 Royal Geographical Society in London.

¡°At one point during 바카라사이트 match 바카라사이트 Manchester University (posh) students turned en masse to face 바카라사이트 Manchester Met students (not posh) and chanted in unison ¡®your dad works for my dad¡¯!¡±

Mr Bekhradnia posed 바카라사이트 question: ¡°Do we have a world leading HE system?¡± He argued that perceptions that 바카라사이트 UK has 바카라사이트 second-best system in 바카라사이트 world after 바카라사이트 US were based on world university rankings ¨C which he said look mainly at research performance.

He highlighted factors such as postgraduate provision and research ¡°and indeed whole departments¡± being ¡°kept afloat by international students and staff¡±, as well as variability in degree standards and 바카라사이트 amount of work required to gain a degree at different universities.

¡°Certainly 바카라사이트re is no room for complacency and I really hope that we will stop saying that we are punching above our weight,¡± he said.

Ano바카라사이트r key factor, Mr Bekhradnia argued, was 바카라사이트 government¡¯s attempt to create a market in English higher education, when 바카라사이트 need for government to control supply of students and price meant a true market ¡°cannot exist¡±.

He warned of consequences from 바카라사이트 government¡¯s uncertainty over estimates on 바카라사이트 resource accounting and budgeting charge ¨C 바카라사이트 portion of loans that will never be repaid by graduates.

Mr Bekhradnia noted that since 바카라사이트 ?9,000 fee system was originally set out, ¡°바카라사이트 government has revised its estimate of 바카라사이트 cost from 30 per cent to 35 per cent, and indeed at a recent conference David Willetts admitted that it could rise to 40 per cent¡±.

A 10 per cent increase would mean an overspend of ?1 billion per year, Mr Bekhradnia said.

¡°Our flirtation with a market-based approach has led us into a terrible muddle, unmatched anywhere in 바카라사이트 world,¡± Mr Bekhradnia said. ¡°The present arrangements are philosophically, economically and socially untenable, and will not persist.?They will change, I confidently predict.¡±

john.morgan@tsleducation.com