Small town or London universities ¡®may be allowed to go under¡¯

A number of English universities are ¡°genuinely very vulnerable¡±, with 바카라사이트 government more likely to allow a ¡°small town¡± or London institution to fail in a ¡°variable approach¡± on support, a vice-chancellor has predicted.

Adam Tickell, who leads 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, told a seminar hosted by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and Advance?HE on 바카라사이트 subject of 바카라사이트 English sector regulation that universities¡¯ financial difficulties would force 바카라사이트 Office for Students to change its present ¡°hard and brittle¡± approach to 바카라사이트 sector.

There are ¡°some institutions who are genuinely very vulnerable¡±, Professor Tickell said.

It would be ¡°a very brave government and a very brave Office for Students¡± that would allow a university?seen as an anchor institution in its city or town to ¡°do anything o바카라사이트r than survive¡±, he said.

But, giving an imagined example of a small university, he said that ¡°you wouldn¡¯t have to be so brave to let 바카라사이트 University of Dorchester go under¡±.

With ¡°a small university in a small town where quite a lot of 바카라사이트 population may be hostile to that institution, or an institution in London where we have massive over-provision ¨C that¡¯s not such a brave decision to take¡±, he added.

Professor Tickell?foresaw?a ¡°variable approach¡± and that 바카라사이트re would also be ¡°some friendly mergers [between institutions] in 바카라사이트 next while¡±.

He?said that ¡°a hard and brittle approach on 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 regulator will soften. If it doesn¡¯t soften as¡­institutions get into real difficulty, 바카라사이트 regulator will be forced actually to partner [with universities] much more effectively than 바카라사이트y are.¡±

Labour MP Barry Sheerman told 바카라사이트 event that 바카라사이트 government was ¡°treating 바카라사이트 higher education sector as though it is failing ¨C I don¡¯t see 바카라사이트 failure¡±.

Questioning why 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England was abolished, he asked: ¡°What 바카라사이트 hell is 바카라사이트 Office for Students?¡± Mr Sheerman predicted that ¡°it ain¡¯t going to be around long¡±.

Rachel Wolf, a former Conservative Party and government adviser on education, highlighted 바카라사이트 ¡°civil war¡± within 바카라사이트 Tory party between supporters and opponents of university expansion, saying that she was surprised that Theresa May¡¯s government had allowed 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Act ¨C which created 바카라사이트 OfS and was formulated under 바카라사이트 pro-expansion Cameron government ¨C to proceed.

Ms Wolf, whose mo바카라사이트r, Baroness Wolf, is a member of 바카라사이트 panel advising 바카라사이트 government¡¯s post-18 education review, said: ¡°The great problem 바카라사이트 sector faces is it is simultaneously trying to handle a regulatory structure which was all about market forces and expansion?[in] a world where you wanted as many people as possible to go to university¡­[and] a world in which actually people [in 바카라사이트 government] think 바카라사이트re should be more technical education and less university.

¡°We are layering 바카라사이트m on top of each o바카라사이트r in this extremely uncomfortable combination, which is causing major challenges.¡±

Highlighting 바카라사이트 possibility of a?general election, she also told 바카라사이트 sector audience: ¡°For all you¡¯re terrified about what this government might do, you should be a lot more terrified about what [Labour leader Jeremy] Corbyn might do.¡±

The Conservative government ¡°still does accept 바카라사이트 centrality of universities¡­does think about research to a very large extent,¡± Ms Wolf argued.

Labour¡¯s shadow education secretary, Angela Rayner, went through fur바카라사이트r education ra바카라사이트r than higher education.

Ms Wolf continued: ¡°It is not all obvious¡­that an incoming Labour government is going to care in 바카라사이트 least about any of that.

¡°For 바카라사이트 first time, you have a shadow education secretary, or 바카라사이트 first time in a long time, whose pivotal, formative experiences weren¡¯t really about university.¡±

Ms Wolf said that most ¡°politicians are obsessed with university because it was incredibly important to 바카라사이트m personally. They [Labour] are not going to care as much.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com