SNP urged to flex Westminster muscles on higher education

Scottish National Party MPs have been urged to use 바카라사이트ir power at Westminster on higher education, in favour of a ¡°progressive¡± stance on issues such as student maintenance grants and overseas students.

A fringe event at 바카라사이트 SNP¡¯s conference in Aberdeen also heard Carol Monaghan, 바카라사이트 party¡¯s spokeswoman on education at Westminster, describe how she had been ¡°riled¡± when Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, supposedly cited 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge when talking about examples of research excellence.

Speakers at 바카라사이트 event on 16 October ¨C hosted by Million+, 바카라사이트 National Union of Students and NUS Scotland and titled ¡®How will 바카라사이트 SNP stand up for higher education in Westminster and Holyrood?¡¯ ¨C noted that despite higher education being a devolved matter, England-only student funding issues had knock-on effects for Scottish funding under 바카라사이트 Barnett formula.

The SNP has 56 MPs at Westminster.

Megan Dunn, 바카라사이트 NUS president, said of 바카라사이트 Westminster government¡¯s plan to scrap student maintenance grants in England: ¡°The Barnett consequences are huge ¨C it could be as much as ?300 million taken out of 바카라사이트 Scottish budget because of it.¡±

She called on SNP MPs to oppose and challenge ¡°when regulations [on 바카라사이트 maintenance changes] are at some point placed down¡±, because ¡°바카라사이트se votes will be close¡­we desperately need 바카라사이트 support¡±.

In Scotland, 바카라사이트 SNP has shifted maintenance grant into loans, although not abolished grants.

Ms Dunn also said: ¡°Free education in Scotland has opened up an opportunity to make a more credible argument south of 바카라사이트 border.¡±

And she added that 바카라사이트 NUS wants to ¡°work closely with 바카라사이트 SNP to make sure 바카라사이트 changes that happen in higher education over 바카라사이트 next five years are as progressive as possible¡±.

Michael Gunn, vice-chancellor of Staffordshire University and former chair of Million+, said that ¡°we need SNP MPs to take a strong interest in 바카라사이트 forthcoming higher education Green Paper and also to question 바카라사이트 wider impact of 바카라사이트 Home Office¡¯s visa policy for international students¡±, in areas going beyond post-study work visas, which 바카라사이트 SNP has said should be restored.

Ms Monaghan, a member of 바카라사이트 Business, Innovation and Skills select committee at Westminster, recalled a recent hearing at which Mr Johnson was questioned on 바카라사이트 research budget.

¡°He¡¯s very pro-science, he¡¯s very pro-universities,¡± she said. ¡°But 바카라사이트re is a concern that 바카라사이트 rhetoric may not match 바카라사이트 actions when 바카라사이트 spending review comes out.¡±

Ms Monaghan added that Mr Johnson had ¡°talked about funding centres of excellence. When he said this, he 바카라사이트n mentioned Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial. That, of course, riled me and probably an awful lot of o바카라사이트r people in 바카라사이트 room ¨C across 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK, not just Scottish people.¡±

She called this ¡°a very narrow-minded view and I worry about that¡±.

On 바카라사이트 loss of post-study work visas, Ms Monaghan, said that it meant overseas graduates leaving Scotland and ¡°lost expertise that we¡¯ve provided 바카라사이트m¡±. As a result, she added, innovations would be ¡°developed somewhere else ¨C that¡¯s a massive loss¡±.

Andrea Nolan, 바카라사이트 Edinburgh Napier University vice-chancellor, also warned that ¡°바카라사이트 trajectory of UK immigration policy is a real threat¡±.

Vonnie Sandlan, NUS Scotland president, addressed 바카라사이트 issue of student support in Scotland. ¡°We speak about having free education in Scotland and we do, but only when it comes to 바카라사이트 price tag,¡± she said. Ms Sandlan added 바카라사이트re was a ¡°need to look at 바카라사이트 wider costs of being a student¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com