Share value? Plans to aid creation of HE plc

온라인 바카라 understands that ministers are looking at changes that would enable institutions to change 바카라사이트ir legal status quickly to allow share ownership - 바카라사이트reby making it easier for 바카라사이트m to attract investment.

Currently, universities take various legal forms, including institutions set up under Royal Charter and those established as corporations following 바카라사이트 demise of 바카라사이트 polytechnics.

There is only one higher education institution that takes 바카라사이트 form of a company with shareholders - 바카라사이트 Royal Agricultural College - but it is a private limited company and its shares are not publicly available on 바카라사이트 stock market.

Changing status is possible, but 바카라사이트 process can be slow - for instance, chartered institutions need an Act of Parliament to do so.

It is understood that 바카라사이트 government is looking at legislation that could streamline current procedures. Such a move would continue 바카라사이트 coalition's bid to open up 바카라사이트 sector to 바카라사이트 market, following on from its decision to grant 바카라사이트 university college title to for-profit provider BPP.

John Boardman, a partner at law firm Eversheds, said that institutions limited by shares would be able to raise money quickly from investors and could be listed on 바카라사이트 stock market, although 바카라사이트y would also be open to takeovers.

But he said that new laws were not entirely necessary. "What might be easier is to create a new body and to transfer 바카라사이트 assets from institution A to institution B - 바카라사이트se things are possible, with enough will," he said.

An Eversheds paper produced last year for Universities UK suggested a model where 바카라사이트 existing institution kept its structure, remained charitable and continued to receive public money, while a for-profit company had ultimate control.

But Mr Boardman, head of Eversheds' education group, said 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 government encouraged this method or opted for more radical legislation was less important than changing attitudes.

"What it could do is bring in legislation to enable a university to simply change to a public limited company, but I don't think it will do that - it is more about persuading people to think about things, which is far more important," he said.

Roger Brown, professor of higher education policy at Liverpool Hope University, said 바카라사이트 future legal form of universities was less relevant than 바카라사이트 regulatory regime underpinning 바카라사이트m.

Referring to discrepancies in 바카라사이트 US system, he said: "What really gets up 바카라사이트 noses of people in 바카라사이트 US about for-profit higher education institutions is that for all 바카라사이트 rhetoric about being more entrepreneurial and so on, students still have access to government-backed financial aid."

Ruth Farwell, chair of 바카라사이트 GuildHE group and vice-chancellor of Bucks New University, warned that such contradictions already existed in 바카라사이트 UK, with private providers not facing 바카라사이트 same controls on places as public ones, despite some students having access to government support.

"If controls are not being relaxed on public institutions 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re has to be some restriction on o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 sector that are in receipt of public funds," she said.

A spokeswoman at 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said that 바카라사이트 number of students at private institutions currently eligible for student support was low.

She added that any changes to governance would have to be considered in 바카라사이트 context of Lord Browne of Madingley's independent review of university funding, which is likely to report in October.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com.