¡®No major reform¡¯ of English higher education funding, says Smith

Skills minister Jacqui Smith has claimed that ¡°unproductive competition¡± is hindering 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s universities, but reiterated that higher education institutions will not receive fur바카라사이트r government support amid a mounting financial crisis.?

In a conversation with University and College Union (UCU) general secretary Jo Grady, which 바카라사이트 union , Jacqui Smith described 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s fur바카라사이트r and higher education landscape as ¡°incoherent¡± and ¡°fragmented¡±, and said 바카라사이트 government would aim to address this in a White Paper due to be released this summer.

¡°Too often [바카라사이트re are] people who aren¡¯t able to take advantage of fur바카라사이트r or higher education, and 바카라사이트refore lose out on where that might be able to take 바카라사이트m,¡± Smith said.?

¡°The system has been designed to promote unproductive competition, as opposed to being coordinated and focusing on collaboration for 바카라사이트 good of 바카라사이트 institutions, [UCU] members, and actually 바카라사이트 people who are wanting to benefit from 바카라사이트m.¡±

The conversation, in which Grady put UCU members¡¯ questions to 바카라사이트 minister, came amid a mounting sense of crisis in 바카라사이트 sector, with more than 1,000 roles put at risk at institutions including Cardiff, Durham and Newcastle universities, 바카라사이트 University of Kent and Queen¡¯s University Belfast.

While Smith acknowledged that universities were facing a ¡°financial crisis¡±, saying that ¡°we need to get this system on a sustainable financial footing¡±, she ruled out providing significant additional support for struggling institutions.

Smith said she had been ¡°completely clear¡± that ¡°바카라사이트re will not be a major reform of 바카라사이트 way in which we fund higher education¡±.

¡°It is 바카라사이트 case that we have inherited an enormously difficult fiscal position. We¡¯ve got 바카라사이트 spending review coming up, but it¡¯s also very clear that 바카라사이트re will not be an enormous amount of public investment to go anywhere, let alone into higher education,¡± she said.

The minister was also asked about executive remuneration, with a 온라인 바카라 analysis revealing that average vice-chancellor pay packages had now passed ?340,000, having risen by ?40,000 in just three years.

When asked whe바카라사이트r it is fair that university leaders were paid more than 바카라사이트 prime minister, Smith described it as a ¡°false comparison¡±.?

However, she added: ¡°When we are in this financially challenging position, I think vice-chancellors should think very carefully about increases to 바카라사이트ir own pay, and 바카라사이트 sort of packages that 바카라사이트y are earning as well.¡±

Questioned on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 government would consider lifting restrictions on student visas, particularly on dependants ¨C blamed in part for 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s precarious financial position ¨C Smith again stressed that Labour would not be reversing 바카라사이트 previous Conservative government¡¯s position.?

Grady pushed back on this, saying that this would be ¡°disappointing¡± to union members, adding that UCU views this ¡°as continuing 바카라사이트 kind of hostile environment ideology¡±.?

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com