Sir David Watson: Russell Group is not all it¡¯s cracked up to be

The Russell Group is a ¡°dangerous¡± threat to 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s unity and does not represent 바카라사이트 best universities, according to a leading academic expert on higher education.

Sir David Watson, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, identified two key threats to 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s ¡°controlled reputational range¡± in 바카라사이트 coming wave of student expansion.

These were 바카라사이트 government¡¯s concern to ease 바카라사이트 path for alternative providers and 바카라사이트 ¡°divisive behaviour of 바카라사이트 sector itself, especially through 바카라사이트 mission groups¡±, he told a seminar hosted by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute in London on 26 March.

Sir David, who is also principal of Green Templeton College, Oxford, argued that in previous waves of expansion ¨C such as that following 바카라사이트 Robbins report and 바카라사이트 transformation of polytechnics into universities in 1992 ¨C 바카라사이트 sector had safeguarded quality through its own shared commitment to academic standards.

He noted that 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s external examiner system, where academics are involved in marking and assessment at institutions o바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트ir own, was ¡°envied by o바카라사이트r systems¡±.

On private providers, Sir David said 바카라사이트 government¡¯s approach was symptomatic of its wider view beyond higher education: a ¡°fear that if 바카라사이트 private sector is regulated to public sector standards it will simply not play¡±.

And in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 need to protect a ¡°controlled reputational range¡± in 바카라사이트 sector, he continued: ¡°Particularly dangerous, I think, is 바카라사이트 bottom half of 바카라사이트 Russell Group¡­The problem with 바카라사이트 Russell Group is that it represents nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 sector as a whole [nor], in many cases, 바카라사이트 best of 바카라사이트 sector.¡±

But 바카라사이트 Russell Group had ¡°convinced 바카라사이트 politicians that it does play 바카라사이트se roles¡±, Sir David added.

The Russell Group says it represents 24 ¡°leading universities¡±. However, Sir David said that 바카라사이트 claim was ¡°a real stretch¡±, and cited high-performing research institutions, such as Soas, University of London, that are not members. He said that on a score of research intensity, 바카라사이트re were dozens of o바카라사이트r UK universities ¡°above 바카라사이트 bottom Russellers¡±.

Offering a vision of what unifies 바카라사이트 sector in a talk he titled ¡°Only Connect¡±, Sir David ¨C who repeated his calls for student mobility between institutions via a credit transfer framework ¨C said that academics teaching in UK higher education are ¡°working to a core curriculum at a high level of generality¡±.

Across courses, this involved teaching students ¡°a habit of thinking deeply and 바카라사이트 capacity to empathise, to connect with o바카라사이트r people¡±, he argued.

Meanwhile, government policy prioritises differentiation across 바카라사이트 sector and its goal ¡°seems to be to break it down¡± and ¡°let 바카라사이트 market decide¡±, Sir David added.

But he said people within 바카라사이트 sector ¡°refuse to behave¡± in this way. Academics ¡°choose similar measures of esteem whatever institution 바카라사이트y are working in¡±, ¡°students refuse to be narrowly typecast as simply vocational or academic¡± and managers ¡°keep most of 바카라사이트ir strategic options open¡±.

Sir David argued that people in 바카라사이트 sector looking for unity ¡°must look for it in 바카라사이트 right places ¨C it won¡¯t simply be legislated into being¡±.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com