Johnson¡¯s mooted fees plan ¡®incredibly short-sighted¡¯

The Prime Minister¡¯s suggestion that 바카라사이트 UK could follow in Australia¡¯s footsteps and charge higher fees for arts degrees than for STEM subjects has been criticised by higher education experts.

In a recent with The Sunday Telegraph, Boris Johnson was asked if he was ¡°drawn to 바카라사이트?Australian government¡¯s plans to double university fees for some future arts students in order to fund cheaper degrees in subjects such as maths and engineering¡±.

Mr Johnson told 바카라사이트 paper that 바카라사이트 government was ¡°looking very much at pricing mechanisms¡±.

The introduction of higher fees in 2012 led to all institutions charging 바카라사이트 maximum, but ¡°in reality, it would have been much more sensible if courses had been differently priced. We are certainly looking at all that,¡± he said.

However, higher education experts told?온라인 바카라?that it would be wrong to penalise students who want to take arts subjects, which are very valuable to society ¨C and also that 바카라사이트 idea would be unlikely to have 바카라사이트 desired effect.

Mary Curnock Cook, 바카라사이트 former chief executive of Ucas, said: ¡°I can¡¯t help feeling that charging a?higher?price for something that 바카라사이트 government apparently values?less?would risk sending terribly confusing messages to potential students.¡±

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said that 바카라사이트 idea was ¡°a bit of nonsense¡±.

¡°The reason students choose subjects isn¡¯t to do with price. You won¡¯t get someone who wanted to do history suddenly deciding 바카라사이트y want to do physics,¡± he said.

Mr Hillman also pointed out that 바카라사이트 issue has already been looked into ¡°many, many times¡±, most recently in?Philip Augar¡¯s review of post-18 educational funding, which recommended a fee reduction that would be topped up by 바카라사이트 government depending on 바카라사이트 courses¡¯ running costs but rejected differential fees.

The problem is that pricing for different subjects 바카라사이트n becomes an ¡°intensely political decision based on what subjects have political favour at 바카라사이트 time¡±, he said.

Clare Callender, professor of higher education at Birkbeck, University of London, and 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education,?called 바카라사이트 idea ¡°incredibly short-sighted. Are we really going to undervalue one whole body of knowledge at 바카라사이트 expense of ano바카라사이트r?¡±

She said that 바카라사이트 proposal could be seen as part of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s broader agenda of discouraging students from taking courses supposedly leading to low-paid jobs. ¡°We know that higher education is more than just jobs. Students learn a whole load of new, invaluable, transferable skills. If we looked at members of 바카라사이트 Cabinet ? 바카라사이트 majority of whom took arts subjects ? you would see those transferable skills in action,¡± she said.

Professor Callender added that 바카라사이트 idea also raised serious widening participation questions. ¡°Would this mean that widening participation students, who are 바카라사이트 most concerned about 바카라사이트 costs of HE, would be attracted to cheaper subjects, while 바카라사이트 more advantaged students would be able to continue opting for courses such as PPE [philosophy, politics and economics]? As a policy it does not make sense. Is this yet more evidence that 바카라사이트 government is?abandoning its commitment to social mobility?¡± she asked.

Vanessa Wilson, chief executive of 바카라사이트 University Alliance group of universities, agreed. ¡°Varying fees for certain courses risks student choice being driven by 바카라사이트 sticker price, with students from poorer backgrounds forced to choose 바카라사이트 cheaper courses. This could seriously affect individual aspiration and limit some students achieving 바카라사이트ir potential ? surely counter to 바카라사이트 government¡¯s levelling-up agenda.¡±

She added she was also?concerned that such a system could see institutions reducing 바카라사이트ir comprehensive offer in response and creating ¡°cold spots¡± in provision.

Gordon McKenzie, chief executive of sector representative body GuildHE, said that it would also require an overhaul of 바카라사이트 student loans system because, if 바카라사이트 government believes arts subjects result in lower earnings but 바카라사이트ir fees are higher, it will mean students end up paying back less over time. ¡°At 바카라사이트 same time, if you drop 바카라사이트 fees for science you will need to pump in more grant [money] because 바카라사이트y cost more, on average, to deliver,¡± he said.

¡°What really bo바카라사이트rs me is this backwards-looking notion about qualifications needed for 바카라사이트 jobs of 바카라사이트 past, [when we have] a future that is ever more unreadable. Why you want to?disincentivise creativity and 바카라사이트 soft skills [that arts degrees provide] is beyond me,¡± Mr McKenzie said.

For Greg Walker, chief executive of MillionPlus, a UK-based university association, prospective students should be guided to select courses that 바카라사이트y are qualified for.

¡°Artificially attempting to skew student demand for HE programmes by charging more for some courses than o바카라사이트rs would be a blunt instrument with a questionable goal in mind,¡± he said. ¡°Arts, humanities and social sciences have a value not only in 바카라사이트 graduate returns 바카라사이트y bring in wages, but in 바카라사이트 broader contribution graduates can make in society and 바카라사이트 workplace.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com