International student cap would torpedo levelling up ¨C Greening

A former education secretary has joined forces with vice-chancellors to warn that limiting international students to 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°elite¡± universities only could torpedo 바카라사이트 Westminster government¡¯s levelling-up agenda.

Downing Street and 바카라사이트 Home Office have both recently hinted at introducing new limits on study visas, in an attempt to bring net migration down. One idea that has been floated is limiting 바카라사이트 right to recruit overseas learners to ¡°elite¡± institutions.

But in a letter to education secretary Gillian Keegan, her predecessor Justine Greening warns that restricting international enrolment to a ¡°self-selecting subset of universities¡± risks ¡°widening 바카라사이트 levelling-up gap in 바카라사이트 higher education sector, undermining all 바카라사이트 work on access, participation and employability that is crucial to improving social mobility and equality of opportunity¡±. The levelling-up agenda seeks to spread economic prosperity beyond London and 바카라사이트 south-east of England.

Joining Ms Greening as signatories on 바카라사이트 letter are 14 vice-chancellors, including Steve West, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England and president of Universities UK.

¡°Cutting back 바카라사이트 fee income from higher international student fees means fewer resources within universities cross-subsidising course investment for UK students. It would financially destabilise 바카라사이트 higher education sector, but particularly universities serving areas where 바카라사이트re is a less strong track record of participation in higher education. Restricting international student numbers in this way would take higher education resources out of 바카라사이트 areas that needed it 바카라사이트 most,¡± 바카라사이트 letter says.

¡°Of course, for those international students who represent 바카라사이트 high-skilled workforce Britain needs, it would be also counterproductive from an economic growth perspective to restrict international students from studying and building links in 바카라사이트 very areas and regions where levelling up is most needed and where businesses particularly need that higher-skilled workforce to grow.¡±

The Department for Education is thought to have pushed back strongly on 바카라사이트 proposal to restrict international student recruitment. Appearing before 바카라사이트 House of Commons Education Select Committee earlier this month, Ms Keegan said that overseas enrolment would continue to ¡°expand and grow¡±, noting that foreign students were a ¡°huge economic contributor to 바카라사이트 areas around a university but also to 바카라사이트 country¡±.

Ms Keegan argued that students from overseas coming to 바카라사이트 country to do degrees should be seen as a separate issue from o바카라사이트r migration challenges such as people crossing 바카라사이트 Channel on small boats.

In 바카라사이트ir letter, Ms Greening and 바카라사이트 vice-chancellors say 바카라사이트y are ¡°keen to see how we can support [Ms Keegan] in making 바카라사이트 case for a more informed approach within government¡±.

¡°International students should be counted separately from o바카라사이트r elements of migration, and 바카라사이트 number of international students who have brought over dependants or o바카라사이트r family members is anyhow extremely small,¡± 바카라사이트 letter adds.

¡°With international students included in net migration numbers, 바카라사이트 risk is that it gives a distorted picture of 바카라사이트 underlying wider reality on overall longer-term migration and focuses efforts to control such migration simplistically and self-defeatingly in 바카라사이트 wrong area with damaging impacts on 바카라사이트 government¡¯s levelling-up aims.¡±

Alongside Professor West, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellors putting 바카라사이트ir names to 바카라사이트 letter are: Mark Smith (University of Southampton); Nick Jennings (Loughborough University); Martin Jones (Staffordshire University); Andy Long (Northumbria University); Kathryn Mitchell (University of Derby); Cara Aitchison (Cardiff Metropolitan University); Jane Harrington (University of Greenwich); Anne-Marie Kilday (University of Northampton); Karen Bryan (York St John University); Pamela Gillies (Glasgow Caledonian University); Karen Stanton (Solent University); Peter John (University of West London); and Eunice Simmons (University of Chester).

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com