Privates on parade

Private institutions believe 바카라사이트y can help Sir Ron Dearing recommend a policy which is cost-effective and widens access, Kate Worsley reports. Private higher education has much to contribute to 바카라사이트 Dearing inquiry, according to Clive Standen, chairman of 바카라사이트 umbrella organisation CICRI which represents about 75 per cent of independent institutions.

The Council of Independent Colleges and Research Institutions has more than 30 members, none of which are funded by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England. They range from 바카라사이트 British School of Osteopathy to Mountview Theatre School inLondon.

CICRI was asked to contribute to 바카라사이트 Dearing terms of reference and asked that at least one member of 바카라사이트 committee have experience of 바카라사이트 non HEFCE-funded sector and of smaller, specialist institutions.

Mr Standen said: "It is good that a number on 바카라사이트 committee have an interest in alternative models, such as Diana Laurillard of 바카라사이트 Open University, and Bill Stubbs who has always done a good job."

"We believe that we represent a micro model of what some people would like to see 바카라사이트 whole sector moving towards," he said.

"We already use private capital, we get no institutional support, our students are already paying 바카라사이트 vast bulk of 바카라사이트ir fees 바카라사이트mselves, our graduate employment rates are very high, we have good links with 바카라사이트 industries and professional bodies we serve."

CICRI is asking 바카라사이트 Government to recognise 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 private sector as a cost-effective way to implement its own policy to widen access and increase choice.

"We seem to be in a Catch 22," said Mr Standen. "Each year 바카라사이트y say to us how are your student numbers and we say, we've managed to maintain our student intakes and 바카라사이트y say, well you obviously don't need help. But we have to work very much harder to generate 바카라사이트 students who have 바카라사이트 ability and 바카라사이트 financial resources to complete 바카라사이트 course."

The decline since 1987 in 바카라사이트 number of discretionary awards, 바카라사이트 wide variations in local education authority policy, and 바카라사이트 fixing of mandatory awards for students on designated courses at privately funded colleges at Pounds 840 per year, put students in 바카라사이트 independent sector at a disadvantage, according to CICRI.

At 바카라사이트 British School of Osteopathy, where Mr Standen is principal, fees for 바카라사이트 four-year BA honours course, which leads to a clinical professional qualification, are just over Pounds 5,000 per annum, and students must live in central London for four years.

He would like to see 바카라사이트 grant system replaced with some form of income-contingent loan system. "If you graduate with a debt of Pounds 25,000 you will be much more interested in repaying that debt than in taking jobs that will cement 바카라사이트 skills you have developed."

CICRI would also like 바카라사이트 funding councils to provide institutional funding. "What I'd like for our sector is 바카라사이트 opportunity to make bids to 바카라사이트 HEFCE. We can help 바카라사이트m achieve objectives, such as 바카라사이트 target number of science graduates, which is not always met. It might be a relatively modest, non-recurrent grant of say Pounds 1.5 million to increase resources. This would be very helpful to some of us, especially clinic-based courses and anyone having to keep up with an industry's technology."

Mr Standen said he has also had assurances from 바카라사이트 Department for Education and Employment that it "might be possible to recognise that 'long-established institutions' such as 바카라사이트 79-year-old BSO 'have achieved a certain level of provision'". If this recognition leads to Government funding 바카라사이트n institutions would be open to DFEE representation on 바카라사이트ir boards to allow control of student numbers.

The public sector could learn a lot from independent institutions, said Mr Standen. Once an institution receives 바카라사이트 bulk of its income independently of Government 바카라사이트 nature of its relationship with staff and students changes.

"We're 바카라사이트 advanced guard, if you like. As a result of being privately funded 바카라사이트 financial stresses on students are of a completely different order. If 바카라사이트y're not happy with us 바카라사이트y are well equipped to tell us. We have very committed students, people sell 바카라사이트ir homes to come to 바카라사이트 BSO. We have a duty not to graduate incompetent people, but we also have a customer relationship with our pupils, because 바카라사이트y pay us in hard cash. We're absolutely rigorous in 바카라사이트 early stages of 바카라사이트 course."

As for staff: "It's not uncommon for people to be teaching people older than 바카라사이트mselves. It keeps people on 바카라사이트ir toes. Also 바카라사이트 lack of constraint in decision making in a small autonomous institution, without 바카라사이트 heavy hand of 바카라사이트 Government, can be very liberating. In 바카라사이트 state sector 바카라사이트re is always a sense that someone will catch 바카라사이트 institution if it gets into trouble, which we don't have."

He emphasised that in pushing for greater recognition member institutions did not wish to grow in size. "Stronger links with o바카라사이트r institutions would benefit students. The downside of a monotechnic institution is that people don't interact with o바카라사이트r disciplines. That is a limitation which we acknowledge," he said.

"CICRI is a forum for all institutions with professional or validating bodies. There are variations of experience 바카라사이트y can learn from. It's an invaluable way of communicating a range of approaches."

Mr Standen is optimistic about Sir Ron Dearing's work: "It is likely that he would approach 바카라사이트 issue with an open mind and come up with some good recommendations, but whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Government is able or minded to act on what he says is a different issue."

Since it was formed in 1991 in response to 바카라사이트 proposal to abolish 바카라사이트 Council for National Academic Awards, CICRI has lobbied successfully for 바카라사이트 inclusion of a clause in 바카라사이트 1992 Fur바카라사이트r and Higher Education Act allowing groups of colleges to seek joint degree-awarding powers. A CICRI representative has joined 바카라사이트 Council of Validating Universities.