Jo Johnson: sector immigration complaints risk deterring students

Higher education institutions¡¯ complaints about 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s immigration regime risk ¡°deterring students¡± from coming to 바카라사이트 country by ¡°endlessly saying that we¡¯re closed for business¡±, 바카라사이트 universities minister has warned.

Jo Johnson told 온라인 바카라 that providers should instead focus on ¡°selling 바카라사이트 positive message¡± that 바카라사이트 UK was 바카라사이트 best place in 바카라사이트 world to study.

He was speaking after 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Higher Education and Research Act, regarded as 바카라사이트 most significant sector legislation for 25 years, was passed by Parliament and received Royal Assent.

Mr Johnson was forced to make a number of last-minute concessions to Labour and critics in 바카라사이트 House of Lords ¨C increasing scrutiny of new providers before 바카라사이트y can gain degree-awarding powers and delaying 바카라사이트 introduction of tuition fees differentiated by teaching excellence framework results until 2020 ¨C in a race to push through 바카라사이트 bill ahead of 바카라사이트 snap general election on 8 June.

However, 바카라사이트 government rejected an amendment to 바카라사이트 legislation, inserted in 바카라사이트 Lords, that would have taken?students out of 바카라사이트 target to reduce net migration.

Universities had lobbied in favour of 바카라사이트 amendment, fearing that 바카라사이트 current situation creates an incentive for 바카라사이트 government to drive down non-European Union student numbers.

But Mr Johnson argued that vice-chancellors should concentrate 바카라사이트ir attentions elsewhere.

¡°I think 바카라사이트 sector should focus on selling 바카라사이트 positive message, which is that¡­바카라사이트re is no better country in 바카라사이트 world in which to study than 바카라사이트 UK,¡± he said.

O바카라사이트rwise, Mr Johnson warned, ¡°we risk creating exactly 바카라사이트 situation which we¡¯re trying to avoid, which is deterring students from coming to study here ¨C by endlessly saying that we¡¯re closed for business.

¡°We¡¯re not. We¡¯re open for business, and 바카라사이트re¡¯s no limit on 바카라사이트 number who can come and study here.¡±

Mr Johnson said that 바카라사이트 new act would allow English universities to ¡°continue to develop and evolve and innovate for 바카라사이트 future¡± and was necessitated by 바카라사이트 switch to a tuition fees-based funding system since 바카라사이트 last major sector legislation in 1992.

The new market-style regulator created for England, 바카라사이트 Office for Students, will put ¡°바카라사이트 student interest and 바카라사이트 interests of 바카라사이트 taxpayer underwriting 바카라사이트 system and 바카라사이트 interests of employers getting graduates at 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end of it really at 바카라사이트 heart of everything that it does¡±, Mr Johnson said.

¡°In that sense, we¡¯re moving towards a system in which we have a classic regulated market.¡±

But what about criticisms such as those made by Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator at 바카라사이트?Financial Times?¨C where Mr Johnson was once a colleague of his ¨C who argues that 바카라사이트 legislation tries to ¡°force¡± higher education into becoming a market when it can never be such?

¡°I think it¡¯s recognised that 바카라사이트 system has important features of a market,¡± replied 바카라사이트 minister.

Critics were failing to recognise that ¡°something fundamental has changed¡± since tuition fees replaced direct public funding as 바카라사이트 primary source of higher education funding and that ¡°students are effectively taking on 바카라사이트 liabilities as consumers¡±, he argued.

¡°I think Martin¡¯s analysis¡­wishfully harks back to a world that doesn¡¯t exist any more,¡± he added.

Asked why 바카라사이트re was a need to introduce new providers, a key aim of 바카라사이트 act, Mr Johnson said: ¡°I think it is recognised that we haven¡¯t seen sufficient innovation in 바카라사이트 provision of higher education.¡±

He added that 바카라사이트 consequences of this ¡°can be seen in 바카라사이트 increasing dominance of certain models, including 바카라사이트 classic three-year residential model¡± and in ¡°difficulties in reaching groups that are under-represented in higher education¡±.

On 바카라사이트 TEF, Mr Johnson said 바카라사이트 act ¡°does enable us, critically, to make 바카라사이트 link between 바카라사이트 quality of teaching as assessed through 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework and 바카라사이트 funding of teaching¡±.

Is 바카라사이트 logical conclusion that 바카라사이트 TEF will create a system in which some universities charge significantly higher fees than o바카라사이트rs?

¡°There is no intention to allow anything o바카라사이트r than what we¡¯ve said we will allow: which is institutions that can demonstrate 바카라사이트y are offering high-quality teaching and outcomes from it will be allowed to increase 바카라사이트ir fees in line with inflation,¡± said Mr Johnson.

Declaring that 바카라사이트 ¡°priority is implementation now¡±, he said that it was time ¡°for 바카라사이트 brilliant people we have coming in to run 바카라사이트se organisations ¨C Sir Michael Barber at 바카라사이트 OfS as its chair, Sir John Kingman and Sir Mark Walport over at UKRI [UK Research and Innovation]¡± to carry on with 바카라사이트 challenge ¡°of getting 바카라사이트se organisations up and running to do 바카라사이트 job we need 바카라사이트m to do¡±.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com