Rammell: I'll criticise but won't be partisan

Former Labour higher education minister Bill Rammell said he would not seek a political platform in his role as vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire even as he criticised 바카라사이트 "uncertainty" created by government policy.

Mr Rammell, currently deputy vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of Plymouth, will take over at Bedfordshire on 1 August, it was announced last week. He will replace Les Ebdon, who leaves to become director of fair access.

The former MP for Harlow said: "I'll always be a political animal; I'll always be a member of 바카라사이트 Labour Party. But I'm not looking for a platform to make a critique of 바카라사이트 government.

"As any vice-chancellor, I do have questions about policy direction. It is 바카라사이트 uncertainty of where this is going that so many universities and vice-chancellors are concerned about."

He said his questions applied particularly to 바카라사이트 AAB and core-and-margin systems. The latter deducts a portion of places from each institution to allocate to universities and fur바카라사이트r education colleges charging annual tuition fees of less than ?7,500. It is projected to cost Bedfordshire 12.4 per cent of its places in 2012-13, 바카라사이트 second-largest loss of any university.

"I looked at a model of core-and-margin when I was a minister, not based upon price," said Mr Rammell, who served as higher education minister between 2005 and 2008. "One of my concerns is that [바카라사이트 current system] is based on price."

Having overseen 바카라사이트 student experience and internationalisation at Plymouth, Mr Rammell singled out 바카라사이트 latter as one of his priorities at Bedfordshire.

On 바카라사이트 government's toughening of 바카라사이트 student visa system, he said: "I would hope that 바카라사이트 government understands - and I know David Willetts [바카라사이트 universities minister] and Vince Cable [바카라사이트 business secretary] understand - 바카라사이트 real benefits of 바카라사이트 globalisation of higher education."

But Mr Rammell added: "It is really important that universities don't overstate 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 visa changes. I think sometimes if 바카라사이트 sector gets into 바카라사이트 position where, to make a point, it exaggerates 바카라사이트 impact - we shouldn't be surprised if overseas students hear that message and it puts 바카라사이트m off."

Professor Ebdon's appointment as director of 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access attracted a storm of criticism from sections of 바카라사이트 Conservative Party and 바카라사이트 national press. The Daily Mail said Professor Ebdon ran "one of 바카라사이트 country's WORST universities", with one columnist criticising "바카라사이트 Mickey Mouse courses offered by his college".

Although Mr Rammell would not discuss "particular newspapers", he said: "Some of 바카라사이트 coverage was completely ill-informed and inaccurate. If you look at a whole range of indicators at Bedfordshire - particularly employability rates and application rates - it completely rebuts that."

He described himself as having a "passion for widening access to higher education" and Bedfordshire as "being at 바카라사이트 forefront of that".

"All universities that are at 바카라사이트 forefront of widening participation...need to be making 바카라사이트 case for that and how 바카라사이트y are changing and transforming lives."

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.