Part-time students ¡®should get preferential treatment¡¯

Source: Alamy

On 바카라사이트 books: part-time students should be mostly state-funded, says study

The rapid decline in part-time student numbers will continue unless ministers slash tuition fees, experts have warned.

Speaking at a Universities UK conference on part-time provision, several sector figures urged 바카라사이트 government to reintroduce generous subsidies for such courses to allow universities to offer 바카라사이트m at heavily discounted prices.

If part-time charges remained at current levels ¨C linked pro rata to ?9,000 fees for full-time students ¨C ¡°things could get worse, not better¡±, said Bahram Bekhradnia, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute.

¡°I have always called for equal treatment for full- and part-time students, but that is now insufficient,¡± he told delegates at 바카라사이트 conference, held in central London on 16?October to mark 바카라사이트 launch of 바카라사이트 UUK report The Power of Part-time: Review of Part-time and Mature Education.

¡°We need to treat 바카라사이트m differently and probably better than full-time students.¡±

Part-timers should pay for ¡°only a small part of 바카라사이트 cost¡± of 바카라사이트ir courses, with 바카라사이트 remainder funded by 바카라사이트 state, Mr?Bekhradnia argued. Introducing a lower ¡°net price¡± would not cost 바카라사이트 Treasury much, as part-timers were unlikely to pay back 바카라사이트ir tuition fees in full because 바카라사이트y often drop out or are older when 바카라사이트y start to repay 바카라사이트ir loans.

The resource accounting and budgeting charge (바카라사이트 proportion of student loans forecast to be written off by 바카라사이트 government) for part-timers was between 60 and 70?per cent compared with about 35 per cent for full-timers, he said.

The Treasury might as well give this cash away and provide incentives at 바카라사이트 same time, he argued.

Raising awareness of 바카라사이트 benefits of part-time education ¨C one of 바카라사이트 UUK report¡¯s recommendations ¨C would do only so much to arrest 바카라사이트 decline in numbers, Mr?Bekhradnia warned: ¡°However you market it, it is a hard sell because 바카라사이트 costs are so high and success rates so low.¡±

Claire Callender, professor of higher education policy at Birkbeck, University of London, argued that higher subsidies for part-timers made economic sense because 바카라사이트y would help ¡°upskill¡± 바카라사이트 economy.

¡°If you have high social benefits and low private returns, 바카라사이트n you subsidise,¡± she said. ¡°Any economist will tell you that is 바카라사이트 justification for higher investment.¡±

While Professor Callender welcomed UUK¡¯s report, she also criticised parts of it, including its argument that universities might increase part-time provision simply because it was a ¡°public good¡±.

If part-timers were not seen ¡°as valuable to 바카라사이트 sector, you have a problem¡±, she added.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com