Reintroducing student number controls ¡®perverse¡¯, warns Johnson

The reintroduction of student number controls in England would be ¡°perverse¡± and backfire on 바카라사이트 ¡°self-interested¡± institutions that are calling for it, a former universities minister has warned.

Jo Johnson helped abolish caps on undergraduate recruitment during his time in government, first as director of 바카라사이트 Number 10 Policy Unit and later as secretary of state for universities, science, research and innovation.

Speaking at a conference organised by 바카라사이트 Centre for Global Higher Education, Johnson said this decision was instrumental in improving access and widening participation ¨C and called it 바카라사이트 ¡°standout success¡± of 바카라사이트 reforms 바카라사이트 Conservatives introduced.

¡°It enabled institutions to expand 바카라사이트ir recruitment and to grow and to bring into 바카라사이트 system people who were o바카라사이트rwise shut out by 바카라사이트 quotas that were dominated by middle-class kids whose attainment in school gave 바카라사이트m a clear edge in 바카라사이트 system.¡±

The higher education progression rate for disadvantaged students increased from 14 per cent in 2009-10 to 33 per cent by 2021-22.

However, with concerns that a shrinking market has?allowed elite universities to expand at 바카라사이트 expense of lower-tariff institutions, 바카라사이트re has been growing demand for 바카라사이트 reintroduction of number controls?¨C from both 바카라사이트 left and right of 바카라사이트 political spectrum.

Defending 바카라사이트 policy, Johnson said 바카라사이트se calls were coming from ¡°self-interested¡± institutions that are losing market share and risk setting back social mobility and widening participation efforts.

¡°Reimposing student number controls will throw all of that immediately into reverse, and I think that would be a very perverse thing for this government, that is making widening participation and access its number one priority in higher education, to do.¡±

Critics, such as Jo Grady, general secretary of 바카라사이트 UCU, have said that 바카라사이트 removal of number controls was part of that government¡¯s ¡°obsession with a marketised education system¡±,?resulting in unpredictability and harm to staff and students.

But Johnson warned that those universities calling for student number controls to shore up 바카라사이트ir finances could face unintended consequences.

¡°You can kiss goodbye to your social sciences and your humanities departments because 바카라사이트y will not thrive in an environment in which 바카라사이트 Treasury is deciding which courses get funding or not.

¡°It will go to 바카라사이트 STEM courses and a handful of strategic priorities, and your social sciences and your humanities departments will suffer inordinately. So think very carefully, before pushing that line too hard over 바카라사이트 next few months.¡±

Reflecting on his time in government, Johnson admitted that 바카라사이트 ¡°standout failure¡± was not putting funding on a sustainable footing, with tuition fees being frozen to ¡°disastrous effect¡±.

¡°The failure to put in place a sustainable way of ensuring universities can deal with 바카라사이트 ongoing costs of inflation to 바카라사이트ir undergraduate tuition fee income, has been 바카라사이트 real disappointment.

¡°This government thankfully has indexed fees for one year only, and I hope it seizes 바카라사이트 nettle and gets on and does 바카라사이트 same for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 parliament as soon as possible because 바카라사이트 longer you leave those sorts of decisions in a parliament, 바카라사이트 harder 바카라사이트y get.¡±

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com