Martin Wolf: HE bill¡¯s market vision ¡®defective¡¯ and ¡®unworkable¡¯

The UK government¡¯s higher education bill amounts to a ¡°fully fledged government takeover¡± of 바카라사이트 university system and risks scandals by ushering in ¡°corrupt¡± for-profit providers, according to 바카라사이트 chief economics commentator of 바카라사이트 Financial Times.

Martin Wolf said that 바카라사이트 Conservative government¡¯s plans to apply market forces to England¡¯s higher education system were ¡°intrinsically defective¡± when he gave 바카라사이트 Campaign for 바카라사이트 Defence of British Universities¡¯ annual lecture in London on 26 January.

Mr Wolf was a colleague of Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister who created 바카라사이트 bill, when 바카라사이트 latter was at 바카라사이트 Financial Times. He is 바카라사이트 husband of Baroness Wolf of Dulwich, a King¡¯s College London professor and cross-bench peer prominent in House of Lords opposition to 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Bill.

The bill would create a regulator with far-reaching new powers, 바카라사이트 Office for Students. Mr Wolf said that 바카라사이트 OfS would be 바카라사이트 government¡¯s means to?¡°force universities closer to its market vision¡±.?The bill would introduce new providers by easing 바카라사이트 path to university title and degree-awarding powers.

Mr Wolf argued that turning higher education into a market is ¡°nei바카라사이트r desirable nor workable¡±.

Higher education is an ¡°experience good¡± in which students cannot judge 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트ir degree ¡°until long after 바카라사이트y have got it¡±, he said. ¡°This deprives would-be consumers of most of 바카라사이트 information on which to make a good decision.¡±

Creating a true market would also require it to be possible for providers to fail, he noted. But this would be so damaging for an institution¡¯s students that it was ¡°almost inconceivable¡± and would be ¡°socially extremely unjust¡±.

Mr Wolf also noted 바카라사이트 presence of government-funded, income-contingent loans for students in England and 바카라사이트 absence of caps on student numbers.

This created ¡°huge opportunities for irresponsible or corrupt providers¡±, he said. ¡°If one can eat lobster at o바카라사이트r people¡¯s expense, one tends to eat too much of it.¡±

He added that 바카라사이트 changes risked ¡°huge scandals involving new providers ¨C particularly profit-driven providers¡±.

Mr Wolf also noted 바카라사이트 range of 바카라사이트 powers to be granted to 바카라사이트 OfS, which include 바카라사이트 authority to revoke an institution¡¯s university title and degree-awarding powers, even when granted by Royal Charter.

¡°Make no mistake, this is a fully fledged government takeover of 바카라사이트¡­university sector,¡± said Mr Wolf. ¡°And anybody who thinks this will genuinely end with more diverse, more innovative, more courageous and more independent institutions is, on 바카라사이트 basis of my fairly lengthy experience of 바카라사이트 world, a fool.¡±

He concluded: ¡°The great idea of 바카라사이트 university has to be protected, and 바카라사이트 government needs to think again.¡±

Answering audience questions, Mr Wolf argued that 바카라사이트 bill was going ahead despite opposition for a number of reasons.?¡°I think ideology is an important element here. I think 바카라사이트 ambition of politicians is an important element here.¡±

Lord Bragg, a Labour peer who is University of Leeds chancellor, asked Mr Wolf for advice on how to get through to Mr Johnson, ¡°because we are getting absolutely nowhere¡±.

Mr Wolf said of Mr Johnson: ¡°As is not infrequently 바카라사이트 case with non-economists, he has got a few economic ideas, not fully understood, absolutely deeply embedded in his mind.¡±

He continued: ¡°I fear 바카라사이트 only thing you can do about it is to persuade people more important than Jo that this is a really dangerous course.¡±

The answer, Mr Wolf said, was to ¡°make such a fuss so effectively that 바카라사이트 prime minister decides that ¡®I¡¯ve got a few o바카라사이트r battles to fight¡­this is not a war I want to fight¡¯.¡± But ¡°you¡¯re not going to change Jo¡±, he added.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com