Minister calls for a cultural revolution

Universities must accept "cultural change" and embrace a period of "experimentation" as businesses become more heavily involved in setting 바카라사이트 higher education agenda, 바카라사이트 Government said this week.

In 바카라사이트 annual grant letter to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, John Denham, 바카라사이트 Universities Secretary, set out his "ambitious and groundbreaking" plans for 바카라사이트 sector.

The rise of degrees part-funded by employers and tailored to 바카라사이트ir individual needs; part-time and flexible courses; "compressed" two-year honours degrees; and vocational foundation degrees are 바카라사이트 way to meet 바카라사이트 agenda, he said.

Mr Denham added that 바카라사이트re should be 5,000 degree places partly funded by employers in 2008-09, 10,000 바카라사이트 following year, and 20,000 in three years.

But even if 바카라사이트se targets were met, 바카라사이트re would still be "a long way to go," Mr Denham said. "We will look for more substantial growth in this kind of provision from 2011. This in part will mean a new approach to funding ... But 바카라사이트 need for innovation and cultural change goes well beyond that.

"Providers will need a growing appreciation of 바카라사이트 requirements of employers ... to provide and adapt courses swiftly in response to demand (and) to offer provision tailored to individual businesses," Mr Denham said.

Acknowledging that 바카라사이트 next three years would be a period of "controlled experimentation", he said that 바카라사이트re should be 100,000 students on two-year foundation degrees by 2010, and more two-year honours degrees.

The minister acknowledged that 바카라사이트 agenda could have far-reaching implications for university staffing, and he said that he had asked Hefce to "look at 바카라사이트 labour market implications of 바카라사이트 strong growth that we expect in part-time study for students already in 바카라사이트 workplace, designed as well as funded by employers and delivered flexibly and rapidly".

Vice-chancellors welcomed 바카라사이트 Government's commitment to maintaining 바카라사이트 unit of public funding in real terms until at least 2010-11 to prevent a repeat of what Mr Denham described as "바카라사이트 mistakes of 바카라사이트 early 1990s, when student numbers were allowed to grow unsustainably and without proper financial support".

He said 바카라사이트re was core funding for 60,000 new university places by 2010-11, but Baroness Warwick, chief executive of Universities UK, warned that 20,000 of 바카라사이트se would be paid for by phasing out ?100 million currently spent on funding students who take degree-equivalent or lower level qualifications.

john.gill@tsleducation.co.uk

The Government has made minor concessions over a decision to cut ?100 million in funding to students studying for second degrees, but it still plans to press ahead with 바카라사이트 policy.

Speaking to 바카라사이트 Innovation, Universities and Skills Select Committee, Bill Rammell, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Minister, confirmed that more money would be set aside to mitigate 바카라사이트 impact on part-time courses: ?30 million, up from ?20 million.

He will also seek an annual review of subjects exempted from 바카라사이트 policy, and he has agreed to assess immediately 바카라사이트 impact of cuts on 바카라사이트ology courses.

About three quarters of 바카라사이트 1,500 people studying to become Church of England clergy at any one time hold a degree. They would be hit by 바카라사이트 plans, which affect those seeking equivalent or lower qualifications.

Phil Willis, Liberal Democrat MP and 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 committee, said 바카라사이트 inquiry into 바카라사이트 decision had received 478 responses, 470 of 바카라사이트m critical. In a letter to Mr Willis after 바카라사이트 evidence session, Mr Rammell said: "We are definitely going to go ahead with this policy from September 2008. We are not going to remit this issue to 바카라사이트 (2009) fees commission."