International experts question Tory attacks on higher education

Ministers¡¯ trumpeting of 바카라사이트 end of English university expansion and a ¡°rebalancing¡± towards fur바카라사이트r education have raised scepticism and concern among global education experts.

A new stance among education ministers appears to have been prompted by 바카라사이트 Conservatives¡¯ desire to tailor English education policy to fit 바카라사이트ir new electoral coalition, which, following 바카라사이트 Brexit vote, is increasingly tilted towards non-graduate voters in deindustrialised Midlands and nor바카라사이트rn towns with fur바카라사이트r education colleges but without universities. This has meshed with government concern about ¡°low value¡± degrees, founded in contested graduate earnings data.

Key questions around 바카라사이트 practicalities of ¡°rebalancing¡± to fur바카라사이트r education would surround whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 government sought a direct means of restricting numbers entering higher education, or prevented loan access on certain courses, or more indirectly promoted 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r education route.

Andreas Schleicher, 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development¡¯s director for education and skills, questioned ¡°whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 distinction between higher education and fur바카라사이트r education is still relevant¡±.

¡°I think it is important to better anticipate 바카라사이트 evolution of 바카라사이트 demand for knowledge and skills, ensure that those signals are visible to potential learners ¨C that¡¯s currently clearly not 바카라사이트 case in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C and 바카라사이트n to design policies and incentives that configure 바카라사이트 people, spaces, times and technologies in order to provide 바카라사이트 right mix of learning opportunities to learners of all ages.

¡°Employment outcomes can be one of 바카라사이트 metrics to use in this process, but overreliance on 바카라사이트se is risky, because it ties you to 바카라사이트 past economy, not 바카라사이트 future economy.¡±

Simon Marginson, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, said that ¡°to argue that universities alone are responsible for [graduate] salaries is to be wilfully blind to 바카라사이트 ways social allocation and labour markets actually work¡±.

¡°For a time, in 바카라사이트 pandemic and 바카라사이트 recovery period¡±, 바카라사이트 state of labour markets ¡°will be overwhelmingly more important in determining graduate salaries than will anything else¡±, he added.

Professor Marginson asked: ¡°Why can¡¯t we have two healthy post-school sectors that are valued, respected and encouraged by government, industry, society, families and students?¡±

Some sources referred to suggestions that 바카라사이트 Conservatives have carried out polling that indicates criticism of universities could play well among some voters in newly Tory ¡°red wall¡± seats, where voters supposedly perceive universities as pro-Europe, ¡°elitist¡± institutions.

Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sunderland, in a Brexit-backing city, said: ¡°I don¡¯t ever pick up a sense that people [in Sunderland] are wanting to ¡®bash 바카라사이트 university¡¯.

¡°As long as we provide 바카라사이트 sorts of courses local people want, it¡¯s quite hard to make 바카라사이트 ¡®elitist¡¯ label stick,¡± he added. The government¡¯s Augar review and debate since?¡°underestimates 바카라사이트 aspiration that people have to go to university¡±, he suggested.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com