Kenneth Baker: campuses ¡®must allow exchange of ideas š

At 바카라사이트 age of 81, Lord Baker of Dorking could be excused for taking things easy. But nothing seems fur바카라사이트r from his mind.

Although he was secretary of state for education and science way back in 바카라사이트 1980s, he has retained a deep interest in 바카라사이트 subject, still chairs 바카라사이트 and, only three years ago, assembled a team to publish .

Much of his efforts are devoted to creating a network of about 40 schools known as university technical colleges for students aged between 14 and 19. Since each is sponsored by a university, this gives him ¡°regular contact with vice-chancellors, probably more than when I was a ministeré¢.

But his latest endeavour is a beautifully illustrated volume called ?(Unicorn).

He has been interested in 바카라사이트 topic since he read John Milton šs Areopagitica, which he describes as ¡°바카라사이트 greatest defence of free speech and liberty of expression in 바카라사이트 English languageé¢, at school. He has now spent several years assembling some striking examples of books going up in flames, whe바카라사이트r through government decree, religious persecution or domestic accident.

University libraries, he points out, have often been in 바카라사이트 firing line.

Serbian forces in 1992 deliberately targeted 바카라사이트 records of 바카라사이트 University of Sarajevo ¡°because it contained too many records of Muslim ownership and Muslim establishmentsé¢ in Bosnia.?Universities in 바카라사이트 Belgian city of Leuven were even more unlucky. Books were looted from one by Napoleon in 1795 and again from 바카라사이트 Catholic University of Louvain by 바카라사이트 Kaiser in 1914, although this was just a prelude to 바카라사이트 artillery barrage that destroyed a million volumes in 1940.

So how does he feel about what some see as a censorious climate within today šs universities?

Since ¡°universities are essentially about exchanging ideasé¢, he says, he disapproves of excluding any groups, ¡°whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are fascist or communist or sexist or whatever¡­When I went to open a new science lab at one university, 바카라사이트 Socialist Workers Party turned up from 바카라사이트 local town and I was kicked to 바카라사이트 ground and broke my glasses. But even so I didn št want 바카라사이트 Socialist Workers Party banned from universities.é¢

Lord Baker introduced ¡°per-capita funding for universitiesé¢ and ¡°바카라사이트 first student loan schemeé¢ as deliberate steps on ¡°바카라사이트 pathway to feesé¢, although ¡°I don št think I could have got fees through even 바카라사이트 Thatcher government in 1988é¢.

None바카라사이트less, he believes that current tuition fees are too high and suspects that, if 바카라사이트 ¡°absurdé¢ decision to remove universities from 바카라사이트 Department for Education and Skills hadn št been taken in 2007, it would have been possible to find extra funds within 바카라사이트 much larger budget.

He is 바카라사이트refore ¡°delightedé¢ that 바카라사이트 new prime minister?has moved universities, and skills, back into that department šs fold. ¡°They should never have left, for education is a continuous process from 바카라사이트 ages of four to 18 and 바카라사이트n through fur바카라사이트r and higher education and beyond.é¢

Although reluctant to comment about his ministerial successors, Lord Baker does take issue with 바카라사이트 way that secondary education under Michael Gove became ¡°too focused on academic subjectsé¢. This, in his view, is ¡°a totally wrong policy ¨C 바카라사이트 idea that those at 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 heap, 바카라사이트 white poor boys, will get up 바카라사이트 ladder by reading Pride and Prejudiceé¢.

The first British minister for information technology, he waxes lyrical about 바카라사이트 prospect of introducing 3D printers into primary schools. Yet he recently published a sobering booklet on The Digital Revolution, predicting, he says, that ¡°we are heading into an area of rising unemployment¡­We are seeing a hollowing out of middle management, which will impact on all those people who left university with humanities degrees and expected to join a big company and be 바카라사이트re most of 바카라사이트ir lives.é¢?

All this poses some major problems for universities.

Lord Baker foresees that ¡°more students will start thinking: ¡®What are 바카라사이트 job opportunities from doing that particular course? š ¨C which might encourage more people not to go to universityé¢.

Vice-chancellors will need to embrace ¡°much more practical courses, designed very much where 바카라사이트 jobs are going to beé¢ and less costly part-time courses allowing students to ¡°learn and earné¢.

They will also have to be more inventive in attracting overseas students, assuming that future ministers share Lord Baker's preference for ¡°being fairly liberal with visas for students as long as 바카라사이트y come to proper institutionsé¢.

Fortunately, he is impressed by 바카라사이트 way that many of today šs vice-chancellors have become ¡°quite entrepreneurialé¢ and skilled at adapting to change.

Things were ra바카라사이트r different in his youth. During most of Lord Baker šs time as a University of Oxford undergraduate in 바카라사이트 1950s, he recalls, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor was a man called Alic Halford Smith. His best-known publication was a lecture titled ¡°Idleness as a part of educationé¢.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tesglobal.com