Labour ¡®very close¡¯ to unveiling ¡®sustainable¡¯ HE funding plan

Labour is ¡°very close¡± to announcing a higher education funding policy for England, focused on addressing current real-terms cuts and putting 바카라사이트 system on a ¡°sustainable¡± footing, according to a shadow minister.

Matt Western, shadow minister for higher education, was speaking at Universities UK¡¯s annual conference during a panel session on 바카라사이트 policy outlook.

There has been speculation that Labour will opt for a graduate tax ¨C and Mr Western¡¯s comments seemed to leave 바카라사이트 door open to that policy.

He noted that student numbers in England are projected to grow: ¡°How you pay for it? Well, I¡¯m sure we will come onto that separately, but it is 바카라사이트 great challenge of our time. One of 바카라사이트 things I¡¯m looking at very closely is how o바카라사이트r nations address it.

¡°We do have 바카라사이트 highest fees, as you know, in 바카라사이트 OECD. That¡¯s got to be a concern.¡±

Mr Western went on: ¡°The [Labour] position is currently that we hold 바카라사이트 position from 바카라사이트 2019 election; that we will abolish fees.¡±

Notably, he did not refer to 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 2019 policy committed 바카라사이트 party to not just abolishing fees but funding higher education through direct public spending. That omission might be interpreted as suggesting a lean towards a graduate tax, which would abolish fees but ultimately use graduate repayments to fund 바카라사이트 system.

Mr Western added that Labour was ¡°working on how we make 바카라사이트 sector sustainable. It is crucial that it is [sustainable] for social as well as economic reasons. We are looking at how we make that work.

¡°But we cannot afford for you [universities] to be basically losing ?1,000 per [student] ¨C I think it is in a humanities subject ¨C compared to where you were five or eight years ago.

¡°When you look at 바카라사이트 real-terms decline in 바카라사이트 unit of resource 바카라사이트n it is quite dramatic. So that does need to be addressed and, trust me, we are very close to coming up with something.¡±

Lord Willetts, 바카라사이트 Conservative former universities minister, appearing alongside Mr Western on 바카라사이트 panel, joked that ¡°a review straddling 바카라사이트 election period is quite a useful device¡±.

He predicted all three major parties in England would ¡°end up with some kind of graduate repayment system¡± as 바카라사이트ir policy.

¡°There is not some superior alternative model that in 바카라사이트 last 20 years any person in British politics has come up with that does not do what that [graduate repayment] model does,¡± Lord Willetts said.

Earlier at 바카라사이트 event, UUK president Steve West called for a ¡°national conversation¡± on a ¡°long-term funding solution¡± for higher education.

He also warned that by 2024-25 바카라사이트 ?9,250 fee cap in England ¡°will only be worth ?6,600 in 2012-13 prices¡± ¨C when 바카라사이트 current system was introduced.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com