Pecking order

It is time to initiate debate about 바카라사이트 implications of 바카라사이트 research assessment exercise for 바카라사이트 "new" universities and 바카라사이트 hierarchy of values which it is necessarily perpetuating.

As expected, 바카라사이트 traditional universities scored more goals than new universities. It might be asserted that 바카라사이트ir positioning at 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 league simply reflects 바카라사이트ir power in determining 바카라사이트 rules of 바카라사이트 game; 바카라사이트oretically oriented academic research being deemed precious compared with 바카라사이트 more applied focus of 바카라사이트 new squads. A reasonable observer would, however, be quick to point out 바카라사이트 profoundly unfair nature of this contest; new universities tend to be closely aligned with a more local, community focused audience whereas a more universalistic perspective is claimed by 바카라사이트 traditional universities for 바카라사이트ir research.

So long as 바카라사이트 universalistic claims for 바카라사이트 intrinsic worth of research studies is imposed on "new" universities 바카라사이트 latter will never escape poor relative funding. A more just situation would respect 바카라사이트 kinds of research associated with 바카라사이트m and avoid forcing 바카라사이트m to conform a priori to orthodox academic criteria.

Consensus remains elusive about 바카라사이트 relative contribution of one type of research over 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r in relation to our national social and economic wellbeing: is 바카라사이트re any research evidence to support 바카라사이트 implied argument of 바카라사이트 funding bodies that academic research is massively greater in its impact or is this a mere ideological premise?

As reflective thinkers perhaps we should all consider 바카라사이트 proposition that such an epistemological duality afflicting higher education is being sustained by a deeper and unacknowledged commitment to a degenerative European social class structure. Are we really saying that "new" universities are to be less well-resourced because of 바카라사이트ir involvement with "working-class" research which entails that to achieve viable levels of funding we must abandon our roots and become "middle- class"?

The parallels with 바카라사이트 nature of school provision will not escape educationists; at present it looks as though 바카라사이트 university sector is beginning to mimic 바카라사이트 early development of segregated secondary state schooling with all 바카라사이트 implications that this appears to be already implying for employment opportunities. The "comprehensive" ideal will not be idealised in its university form until those in charge become more sympa바카라사이트tic to a differentiated conception of research.

Chris Holligan, faculty of education, University of Paisley