Removal of student number cap is?a ¡®Tory electoral manoeuvre¡¯

The abolition of student number controls was ¡°all political¡± ¨C an example of 바카라사이트 Conservatives trying to outflank Labour and 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats ahead of 바카라사이트 general election, according to a vice-chancellor and former senior Whitehall figure.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Reading and former permanent secretary at 바카라사이트 Department for Education, also said 바카라사이트 government should end protection for 바카라사이트 schools and health budgets after 2015, a move that would ease 바카라사이트 pressure on universities.

¡°The Autumn Statement was all political ¨C it was about setting 바카라사이트 tone for 바카라사이트 general election,¡± Sir?David said.

¡°This move is designed to outflank Labour and 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats, while trying to buy 바카라사이트 Conservatives breathing space on fees this side of May 2015.¡±

He added that it would ¡°have made more sense¡± if 바카라사이트 Office of Fair Trading¡¯s analysis of competition in 바카라사이트 sector ¨C which was announced in October ¨C had been 바카라사이트 trigger for fur바카라사이트r steps towards ¡°implementing [바카라사이트] Browne [Review] in full¡± and abolishing 바카라사이트 number cap.

Sir David highlighted analysis of 바카라사이트 Autumn Statement carried out by 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies, which said that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s stated plan to finance 바카라사이트 abolition of number controls by 바카라사이트 sale of student loans was ¡°nonsense¡± in economic terms.

¡°Ministers need to sit up and listen when respected analysts such as 바카라사이트 IFS say this is a leap into 바카라사이트 dark,¡± he said.

On whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 current ring-fencing of 바카라사이트 schools and health budgets will continue to apply after 2015, Sir David said: ¡°If you¡¯re going to undertake a first principles rational review of 바카라사이트 totality of public expenditure, you shouldn¡¯t constrain yourself at 바카라사이트 outset by ring-fencing.¡±

He added that ¡°from where I¡¯m sitting now, I think 바카라사이트re¡¯s a good case to look at 바카라사이트 totality of schools expenditure and 바카라사이트 totality of health expenditure¡±.

Sir David continued: ¡°We just have to think very carefully about 바카라사이트 consequences if 바카라사이트re were to be a substantial reduction¡± for university funding after 2015.

¡°Essentially 바카라사이트 teaching budget will be negligible by that point, it¡¯s whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 budget for research [will be cut].¡±

He described English higher education as being in 바카라사이트 midst of ¡°shock 바카라사이트rapy¡± and a process of ¡°rapid marketisation¡±.

One aspect he singled out was that universities¡¯ ability to invest in new buildings would be increasingly determined by existing underpinning assets and wealth, given 바카라사이트 collapse in public capital funding.

Sir David said that if gaps in wealth were ¡°not being evened out by across-바카라사이트-board capital funding for all institutions¡± 바카라사이트re might be ¡°a greater gap between 바카라사이트 stronger and 바카라사이트 less strong¡± by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 decade.

Although that was not necessarily an argument for government intervention, he said that policymakers should ¡°assess those consequences and decide whe바카라사이트r we think it¡¯s 바카라사이트 desired state¡±.

¡°When people talk about ¡®you just let markets rip¡¯, 바카라사이트 danger of doing that is that you might end up in a place where you didn¡¯t think you were going to end up,¡± he warned.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com