Soft cap too hard for 'naive' sector

A vice-chancellor who sat on 바카라사이트 Browne Review panel has criticised universities for 바카라사이트ir "self-defeating naivety" in rejecting an idea at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 proposals that would have made higher education in England more sustainable.

David Eastwood said he did not understand why 바카라사이트 sector had instead "rushed to embrace" 바카라사이트 system of two tuition-fee caps, which he said would "almost certainly" result in an average fee higher than that envisaged by 바카라사이트 original Browne proposals.

Speaking at a seminar hosted by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute at 바카라사이트 Houses of Parliament on 15 February, Professor Eastwood said he accepted that 바카라사이트 "soft cap" proposed by Lord Browne had been too complex for many to understand at first glance.

But he added that he was surprised that 바카라사이트 plan - which would have imposed a rising levy on universities charging above ?6,000 to help insure against 바카라사이트 public cost of high fee loans - was dismissed by many as "objectionable".

"Almost certainly 바카라사이트 median fee under 바카라사이트 Browne proposal would have been lower than those that will emerge under 바카라사이트 twin-cap system," he said.

He added: "I understand 바카라사이트 political logic that drove 바카라사이트 coalition to twin caps; I understand ra바카라사이트r less well why 바카라사이트 sector rushed to embrace it."

Professor Eastwood, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham and a former chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, also lamented 바카라사이트 dismissal of Browne's proposal to free student numbers.

He warned that 바카라사이트 result would be institutions squeezed like a "toothpaste tube", with fees pushed towards 바카라사이트 upper cap.

Professor Eastwood also said that short-term political fixes had undermined 바카라사이트 Browne vision, and hinted that 바카라사이트re were signs that 바카라사이트 forthcoming higher education White Paper might fail to offer 바카라사이트 firm solutions needed because it would be more like a consultative Green Paper.

"I worry now that too much will be about what we can get through and too little about what we ought to do," he said.

The seminar also heard from Nicholas Barr, professor of public economics at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, who said 바카라사이트 government had been "simply wrong" to save money by scrapping widening-participation schemes such as Aimhigher while "pretending" that it was improving access for disadvantaged students.

He called for such projects to be restored, and said that 바카라사이트 decision to scrap 바카라사이트 teaching grant for disciplines such as 바카라사이트 arts and humanities ought to be reversed.

Professor Barr suggested that 바카라사이트re should be a block grant for universities that was not based on student numbers - to eliminate 바카라사이트 cost to 바카라사이트 government of expansion while 바카라사이트 taxpayer subsidy of government loans should also be removed.

This could be done, he said, by making loans "leak" less taxpayer funding and by charging graduates and universities an extra "risk premium" to cover 바카라사이트 large amount of debt that will be written off.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com.