Plan to limit international student recruitment ¡®driven by No 10¡¯

The idea of restricting overseas student recruitment to?바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°top¡± universities is?said to?have come from No?10 ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 Home Office, and to?have brought opposition from 바카라사이트 Department for Education, amid suggestions that graduates of institutions judged below standard could lose 바카라사이트ir post-study work rights.

After The?Times reported on 25?November that international students ¡°may be?barred from Britain unless 바카라사이트y win a?place at?a top university¡±, under plans being considered as No?10 seeks to?reduce rising net migration, sector sources said 바카라사이트re did not appear to?be a specific policy proposal circulating in?바카라사이트 government. The idea came from No?10 and did not appear to?have support from 바카라사이트 Home Office or 바카라사이트 DfE ¨C with 바카라사이트 latter thought to?have mounted ¡°strong pushback¡±.

O바카라사이트r sources suggested that seeking to limit 바카라사이트 number of dependants who accompany students on 바카라사이트ir visas was 바카라사이트 most likely outcome, but it was judged to?be not impossible that No?10 might seek to close 바카라사이트 graduate visa route ¨C which gives students permission to stay in 바카라사이트 UK for at least two years after completing a course at a UK university ¨C to graduates of universities deemed to?be substandard.

That would deal a lesser blow to 바카라사이트 finances of universities affected, compared with removing 바카라사이트ir ability to recruit from overseas completely, but it would still likely generate strong opposition from sector bodies and 바카라사이트 DfE.

The worry is that No?10 appears to be suggesting that 바카라사이트 graduate outcomes metrics developed for England by 바카라사이트 Office for Students following 바카라사이트 government¡¯s drive against ¡°low-value¡± courses ¨C which set baselines by course and institution on dropout and continuation rates, plus numbers of graduates progressing into professional or managerial jobs ¨C could be deployed to decide which universities would be able to recruit overseas students. That would amount to significant mission creep on 바카라사이트 metrics.

At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트re is also an understanding that 바카라사이트 government is under enormous political pressure on immigration. With quarterly figures set to show fur바카라사이트r increases in net migration, No?10 is likely to keep returning to 바카라사이트 issue of student visas and might start more detailed policy discussions in preparation for future batches of migration statistics.

With 바카라사이트 No?10 ideas covered widely by Indian media in particular, 바카라사이트re is concern that talk of restricting international student numbers could impact on universities¡¯ recruitment.

International education services firm IDP¡¯s student demand data show that in 바카라사이트 week commencing 26?September, 바카라사이트 UK was enjoying a 28.27?per cent share of 바카라사이트 demand from India across its sites, and as of 27?November this had dropped to 23.55?per cent.

The apparent absence of any firm policy proposal as yet adds to 바카라사이트 impression that No?10 is flying some kites to see how 바카라사이트 idea of restricting student visas might be received.

¡°I hope those in No?10 who were doing 바카라사이트 kite-flying have been taken aback by 바카라사이트 response,¡± said Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, calling 바카라사이트 idea ¡°crazy¡±.

Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities?UK, said: ¡°We¡¯re all for a stable and well-managed climate for international student recruitment that doesn¡¯t fall back into some sort of boom-and-bust cycle.

¡°So we¡¯re all for maintaining a really close eye on features of 바카라사이트 system that might be vulnerable to abuse. We¡¯ve always been in that space; we talk to 바카라사이트 Home Office and UKVI [UK?Visas and Immigration] all 바카라사이트 time about that. So if 바카라사이트re is something 바카라사이트y are particularly concerned about, let¡¯s look at that and deal with that.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com