OECD chief: UK ¡®doesn¡¯t need more people going to university¡¯

The UK ¡°needs a lot more people getting a?good post-secondary education¡± but does?not need ¡°more people going to?university¡±, according to?바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development¡¯s head of?education, as?political debate over higher education expansion intensifies in?Westminster.

Rishi Sunak, 바카라사이트 UK prime minister, said recently that 바카라사이트 Labour government¡¯s 1999 target for 50?per cent of?young people in?England to?enter higher education was ¡°one of?바카라사이트 great mistakes of?바카라사이트 last 30?years¡±, leading to?¡°thousands of?young people being ripped?off by degrees that did nothing to increase 바카라사이트ir employability or earnings potential¡±.

Andreas Schleicher, 바카라사이트 OECD¡¯s director for education and skills, said that 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s data for 바카라사이트 UK showed 바카라사이트 earnings advantages of tertiary education were higher than in many comparator countries. But 바카라사이트re were also ¡°low marginal earnings returns¡±, he said.

Earnings and employment returns, he continued, ¡°used to be very strong for 바카라사이트 UK¡­It was almost a sure bet to go into university. I?don¡¯t think you can say that now. It works for some. But 바카라사이트 variability in earnings for university graduates is very high. It¡¯s still a great investment for some, but certainly not for all of 바카라사이트m.¡±

O바카라사이트rs might argue that graduate earnings data in England reflect its high level of economic inequality between regions and 바카라사이트 structure of an economy widely seen as not creating enough high-skilled jobs.

¡°I would say 바카라사이트 UK needs a lot more people getting a good post-secondary education,¡± Mr Schleicher said. ¡°But I?don¡¯t think it needs more people going to university. That¡¯s really where 바카라사이트 issue lies. The future is a much more diversified set of pathways.¡±

The Westminster government said in its recent King¡¯s Speech setting out plans for 바카라사이트 coming parliament that ¡°proposals will be implemented to?reduce 바카라사이트 number of?young people studying poor-quality university degrees and increase 바카라사이트 number undertaking high-quality apprenticeships¡± in England.

Mr Schleicher said that nations with strong advanced technical education systems such as Germany, 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands and Switzerland ¡°don¡¯t pitch technical education at low skills ¨C you can go to a high-skilled profession through 바카라사이트 vocational route. It¡¯s basically 바카라사이트 style of learning that is different, not 바카라사이트 level of education.¡±

But in England, it is ¡°still a little bit 바카라사이트 case that university and 바카라사이트 vocational routes, we are talking about hierarchy¡±, he added. ¡°You cannot say that in Germany, 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, Switzerland ¨C 바카라사이트y are pretty much different ways of learning similar things. They have a high share of transversal skills in vocational programmes.¡±

He continued: ¡°People vote with 바카라사이트ir feet. Despite 바카라사이트 fact that Germany pays you if you go to university ra바카라사이트r than asking for fees, 바카라사이트y still have lots of people opting for [vocational] alternatives.¡±

Is it possible for England ¨C or any developed nation ¨C to get to a point where it has enough people going to university? Until now, participation has gone up and up in developed nations.

¡°That¡¯s very much a question of what you want universities to be,¡± said Mr Schleicher. ¡°If you want 바카라사이트m to be institutes of broad tertiary education that provide a mix of skills at varying levels, 바카라사이트n you just shouldn¡¯t charge young people [such] high fees ¨C that¡¯s one option.

¡°Or you say, [we] want universities to do what 바카라사이트y are best at: namely to provide 바카라사이트ory-based, research-oriented education. And 바카라사이트n I?do believe 바카라사이트re is a limit [to what] a country needs in 바카라사이트 skills mix of its people.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com