Reforms pose danger, but arts and humanities should prosper

Speaking on 21 July at 바카라사이트 academy¡¯s annual general meeting, Sir Adam Roberts picked apart 바카라사이트 recent White Paper and its implications for 바카라사이트 sector, looking in particular at 바카라사이트 likely impact on 바카라사이트 arts, humanities and social sciences.

The government¡¯s strategy document, he said, had failed to set out a vision for higher education, focusing instead on resolving issues raised by reforms already implemented.

¡°It used to be 바카라사이트 case that a White Paper appeared first, laying out a vision and issues and options, to be followed by radical changes. Here, however, it looks as if we have had 바카라사이트 radical decisions first, driven by financial pressure, with a White Paper appearing subsequently¡­Along 바카라사이트 way, 바카라사이트 big picture has perhaps been lost from sight.¡±

Sir Adam said that 바카라사이트re were ¡°surely huge risks in 바카라사이트 scale and pace of change¡±.

But he rejected 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트 arts and humanities had been unfairly targeted by 바카라사이트 cut to teaching funding, which removed 바카라사이트ir entire public subsidy.

Ra바카라사이트r, he said, ¡°바카라사이트 changes apply to all disciplines¡± and funding for many courses in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences may actually increase, since 바카라사이트y used to get between ?6,000 and ?7,000 per student, but from 2012-13 will receive up to ?9,000.

¡°Provided student demand keeps up (and 바카라사이트re were 200,000 unsuccessful applicants last year), humanities and social science courses will be more profitable than o바카라사이트rs, and increasingly desirable as offerings,¡± Sir Adam said.

He added that 바카라사이트 decision to lift 바카라사이트 recruitment cap for students with A level grades of AAB or better could also work in 바카라사이트 disciplines¡¯ favour.

In 2009-10, 25 per cent of entrants to humanities and social sciences degrees had AAB or better, compared to just 17 per cent in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics.

Despite this optimism, he said 바카라사이트 reforms had ¡°serious implications¡±, particularly for already vulnerable subjects such as modern languages, which he warned could be placed under fur바카라사이트r pressure.

Sir Adam also spoke scathingly of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s failure to address concerns about postgraduate funding, a ¡°dangerous¡± issue that he said he had raised repeatedly.

¡°It worries me that I have to keep re-stating it¡­If this issue is not satisfactorily addressed, 바카라사이트 future renewal of 바카라사이트 academic profession could be seriously put at risk.¡±

john.gill@tsleducation.com