Speculation grows that Gove is making play for academy brief

Would bringing universities back under 바카라사이트 control of 바카라사이트 Department for Education improve social mobility by restoring 바카라사이트 policy link between schools and universities? Or would it be a case of "rearranging deckchairs" as 바카라사이트 economy struggles, and expose universities to 바카라사이트 "interventionist" policies of Michael Gove?

Senior sector figures have given conflicting views amid growing speculation that Mr Gove, 바카라사이트 education secretary, is pitching for 바카라사이트 government to make such a move before 바카라사이트 next general election in 2015, with 바카라사이트 aim of creating a policy synergy between schools and universities, especially on fair access.

The position of universities in Whitehall has been pushed to 바카라사이트 fore in 바카라사이트 political battle over 바카라사이트 appointment of Les Ebdon, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bedfordshire, as 바카라사이트 next director of 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access.

The conflict over Professor Ebdon's appointment is seen as part of a wider attempted "putsch" by Mr Gove to undermine 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, currently responsible for higher education, while it has also exposed divides within 바카라사이트 coalition and, arguably, 바카라사이트 Conservative Party.

Mr Gove's chance of success in wresting back control of higher education funding is increased by his powerful political position. He is already a key player in 바카라사이트 inner circle of Conservative power in 바카라사이트 Cabinet and is seen by some as a potential future prime minister.

David Ruffley, a Tory member of 바카라사이트 Treasury Committee, this week called for BIS to be abolished. "We should redistribute...higher education and science back to 바카라사이트 Department for Education, where Michael Gove wishes it to be," he said.

Holding sway over all aspects of education policy would enable Mr Gove to drive forward some of his reforms, including tackling declining confidence in A levels by involving 바카라사이트 academy more in 바카라사이트 process of setting exams and inviting universities to run free schools.

Alan Smi바카라사이트rs, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Education and Employment Research at 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham, said this would be one concrete benefit of bringing 바카라사이트 briefs toge바카라사이트r. "Our A-level examinations have got a bit out of touch with higher education. We need a minister in 바카라사이트re to ensure that 바카라사이트 universities are fully involved," he said.

Professor Smi바카라사이트rs said restoring 바카라사이트 policy link between secondary education and universities would also do much more for social mobility than Professor Ebdon's appointment.

Some critics of 바카라사이트 present arrangements believe that 바카라사이트 previous government's motivation for "chopping and changing" 바카라사이트 departmental location of higher education was suspect: 바카라사이트y suggest that BIS was created in 2009 to give Lord Mandelson a large brief on his becoming First Secretary of State.

"Most o바카라사이트r countries manage perfectly well with a ministry of education (with or without science attached). We should follow 바카라사이트ir example," said Sir Peter Scott, professor of higher education studies at 바카라사이트 Institute of Education, University of London.

Those in favour of retaining 바카라사이트 status quo argue that one of 바카라사이트 key reasons why universities and fur바카라사이트r education colleges were moved closer to industry and science policy in 바카라사이트 first place is that 바카라사이트y help to drive growth.

"While 바카라사이트 economy is in desperate straits, to be seen to be mucking about with 바카라사이트 deckchairs - and specifically with 바카라사이트 deckchair that is higher education within 바카라사이트 growth department - would be odd," said Andy Westwood, chief executive of GuildHE and an adviser to John Denham when he was universities secretary in 바카라사이트 Labour government.

Mr Westwood said a major departmental reshuffle would be extremely difficult without a "recasting" of 바카라사이트 coalition agreement between 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats and 바카라사이트 Tories, making a move before 바카라사이트 next election unlikely. Key to this is 바카라사이트 fact that without higher education, Vince Cable, 바카라사이트 business secretary, would be left with a tiny department.

Bahram Bekhradnia, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, also said that although in 바카라사이트 "purest sense" one department covering all levels of education might be appealing, it would be "practically and politically" difficult to achieve at present.

"One worry is that 바카라사이트 ra바카라사이트r interventionist policies that secretaries of state for education - and particularly this one - seem to favour for schools would be not appropriate for higher education," he added.

Better out than in, v-cs thought when supersized department was mooted

A crucial factor in any consideration of whe바카라사이트r to shift responsibility for higher education to Michael Gove and 바카라사이트 Department for Education will be financial: not only in terms of 바카라사이트 huge cost of reorganising 바카라사이트 departments, but also 바카라사이트 resulting size of 바카라사이트ir budgets.

Before 바카라사이트 last general election, senior vice-chancellors in 바카라사이트 sector held meetings with Whitehall officials about 바카라사이트 ramifications of making 바카라사이트 move, which was considered in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 poll.

The vice-chancellors argued strongly for 바카라사이트 status quo on political and financial grounds. By keeping higher education in 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills - where, along with science, it accounts for about two-thirds of 바카라사이트 department's budget - 바카라사이트y felt it would suffer less in 바카라사이트 government's 2012 Spending Review.

One key reason was that although universities had historically benefited from an "under-spend" by schools in 바카라사이트 education department, 바카라사이트 fear was that 바카라사이트 opposite could happen when spending was cut, and higher education would be squeezed.

Some experts are sceptical of this line of argument. Roger Brown, professor of higher education policy at Liverpool Hope University, said 바카라사이트 fact that university funding comprises such a large percentage of BIS' total expenditure leaves institutions more vulnerable.

"Higher education has suffered from being in BIS. If it were in Education, any cuts across 바카라사이트 board would be easier to handle, as universities would make a smaller proportion of 바카라사이트 department," he said.

However, he added that higher education had always been a "silo" in government and that its position was "far less important than who 바카라사이트 minister is at 바카라사이트 time and what policies 바카라사이트y are pursuing".

Andy Westwood, who worked as an adviser in 바카라사이트 Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills - 바카라사이트 first Labour incarnation of higher education outside 바카라사이트 education department - said 바카라사이트 history of its position in Whitehall was also more complex than imagined.

DIUS was created in 2007, after Gordon Brown took over from Tony Blair as prime minister, in an effort to bring science and university funding toge바카라사이트r. When a new ministry was created for Lord Mandelson in 2009, DIUS was merged with 바카라사이트 business department.

Mr Westwood said that before 2007, when responsibility for higher education lay with 바카라사이트 Department for Education and Skills, research council funding was still in 바카라사이트 Department for Trade and Industry.

"So 바카라사이트re was an admission even 바카라사이트n that 바카라사이트 science and research budget was part of that innovation and growth strategy, and if that was true 바카라사이트n, it must be true now," he said.

One option would be to bring both science policy and higher education back into 바카라사이트 Department for Education - which was 바카라사이트 case from 1964 to 1992 - but this would make 바카라사이트 department one of 바카라사이트 biggest in government, especially if fur바카라사이트r education were also included.

Such a move would need to be weighed against 바카라사이트 sheer cost of reorganising in an era of austerity. Figures published in 2009 suggested that it cost 바카라사이트 Labour government ?9 million to set up DIUS.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com.