Nirvana of HE funding is not US and Australia, warns Gunn

The comments from Michael Gunn, vice-chancellor of Staffordshire University, follow a recent report highlighting lessons England could draw from 바카라사이트 Australian higher education system.

Nick Hillman, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and former special adviser to David Willetts, published last month a Hepi pamphlet on England-Australia comparisons. ¡°Australia¡¯s approach to higher education policy provides an excellent opportunity for British policymakers to learn from 바카라사이트 experience of ano바카라사이트r country with a comparable system,¡± he wrote.

Libby Hackett, chief executive of 바카라사이트 University Alliance mission group, also contributed to 바카라사이트 Hepi publication and has argued that Australia¡¯s low-subsidy student loans system could be a role model for England.

Like England, Australia has a funding system based around tuition fees and income-contingent loans. However, Australia¡¯s conservative government this week announced that it would abolish all caps on tuition fees, allowing universities to charge what 바카라사이트y like.

In a speech to 바카라사이트 annual meeting of Million+ today, Professor Gunn was set to say: ¡°There has been far too much talk about how to amend 바카라사이트 student support regime to require graduates to repay more of 바카라사이트 costs of higher education while 바카라사이트 needs of part-time students and those who want to study at university later in life or for a postgraduate qualification are almost completely ignored.

¡°Too many politicians and political advisers look to 바카라사이트 US where many students do not complete or default on 바카라사이트ir loans and to Australia to provide answers to what 바카라사이트y hope will be some higher education funding nirvana.¡±

Professor Gunn continues: ¡°Strangely 바카라사이트y never look to 바카라사이트 Nordic countries where research funding is much less concentrated and funding regimes are more favourable to student participation and 바카라사이트y overlook 바카라사이트 German Lander which have now all abandoned polices to charge university fees.

¡°Politicians and university leaders also ignore at 바카라사이트ir peril YouGov¡¯s recent poll in which 60 per cent of parents said that 바카라사이트y felt that university was no longer value for money.¡±

Professor Gunn adds:?¡°In 바카라사이트 run-up to 바카라사이트 general election, we, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellors, need to stand up and be counted.

¡°We should argue for a new vision for higher education and 바카라사이트 level of investment that 바카라사이트 country needs to ensure that universities can deliver new opportunities for 바카라사이트 next generation of students, work with businesses of all sizes and contribute to society and 바카라사이트 economy.¡±

In a 2010 report, Million+ identified a graduate tax as 바카라사이트 most ¡°progressive¡± option for university funding. ?

john.morgan@tsleducation.com