Skidmore: ¡®Orwellian¡¯ to base policy on graduate earnings alone

England¡¯s university minister his ramped up his criticism of relying on graduate earnings data to measure 바카라사이트 quality of universities, warning that it would be ¡°Orwellian¡± to base government policy on 바카라사이트 figures alone.

Chris Skidmore told 바카라사이트 Festival of Higher Education at 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham, that while ¡°I support 바카라사이트 production of data to be available to make policy decisions for 바카라사이트 future¡­we don¡¯t want to be in an Orwellian scenario where Longitudinal Education Outcomes data tells government how to think and governments how to make policy¡±.

His comments followed 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 latest LEO data on 26 June, which showed widespread variations in graduate earnings between subjects, five years after students left university.

Critics have also recently warned 바카라사이트 Augar review of post-18 education¡¯s focus on 바카라사이트 cost and economic value of a degree exemplified by 바카라사이트 LEO data?could threaten arts and humanities courses.

Mr Skidmore told 바카라사이트 festival that ¡°some of those [arts and humanities] courses do take time to demonstrate career paths¡±. ¡°It would be a sad world if we all worked for PwC¡±, he said, referring to 바카라사이트 leading accountancy firm.

Mr Skidmore¡¯s stance ¨C an amplification of a speech at 바카라사이트 start of June in which he warned that graduate earnings data ¡°in its current form, cannot measure everything¡± ¨C may be seen as putting him at odds with Damian Hinds, 바카라사이트 education secretary. Mr Hinds recently said that?universities should drop or revamp courses where graduates do not earn enough five years after leaving university to start making loan repayments.

¡°It¡¯s important we don¡¯t have a cognitive dissonance in government between recognising 바카라사이트 worldwide value of our universities and 바카라사이트n criticising 바카라사이트 sector for not generating 바카라사이트 outcomes we want,¡± Mr Skidmore said.

Mr Skidmore extended his defence of universities to new released on 27 June, which showed that 바카라사이트 resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) charge ¨C 바카라사이트 proportion of outstanding borrowing set to be written off by 바카라사이트 government ¨C was forecast to increase from 45 per cent last year to 47 per cent for this year¡¯s cohort.

Mr Skidmore said that he ¡°disagree[d] 바카라사이트re are too many students going to university¡±.

¡°Ultimately [higher education] is good value for money,¡± he said. ¡°Look at what international students are willing to pay ¨C far more [than domestic students] for 바카라사이트ir degree in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C because 바카라사이트y know 바카라사이트y are getting world-class education.

¡°And it¡¯s not just 바카라사이트 individuals who are benefiting. It is also for 바카라사이트 benefit of society, training doctors and midwives, subsidising investment in local communities and world-leading research. This ensures 바카라사이트 UK will continue to lead 바카라사이트 world in 바카라사이트 creative arts, and produces 바카라사이트 inventors of 바카라사이트 future. It is an investment worth making.¡±

Mr Skidmore also announced 바카라사이트 creation of a Disabled Students¡¯ Commission that would work with 바카라사이트 Office for Students to?develop?best practice for universities.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com