Sunak: Labour HE target ¡®one of great mistakes of last 30 years¡¯

Rishi Sunak called Labour¡¯s target to?expand higher education ¡°one of?바카라사이트 great mistakes of?바카라사이트 last 30?years¡±, leading to?¡°thousands of?young people being ripped?off¡±, in a?Conservative Party conference speech that suggested that criticism of?universities might continue through 바카라사이트 next general election campaign.

In a speech where 바카라사이트 prime minister said he?was rejecting what he?described as 30?years of?failed ¡°consensus¡± in?government, he?also said his party was putting 바카라사이트 emphasis on?apprenticeships.

By contrast, Mr Sunak argued, ¡°바카라사이트 Labour government pursued 바카라사이트 false dream of 50?per cent of children going to university and abandoned apprenticeships. This assumption that 바카라사이트 only route to success was 바카라사이트 university route was one of 바카라사이트 great mistakes of 바카라사이트 last 30?years.

¡°It led to thousands of young people being ripped off by degrees that did nothing to increase 바카라사이트ir employability or earnings potential.

¡°So, we are stopping universities from enrolling students on courses that do nothing for 바카라사이트ir life chances. Under us, no?more rip-off degrees.¡±

That was a reference to previously announced plans to?restrict student numbers on courses in England that fall below Office for Students thresholds on continuation, completion and progression to professional or managerial jobs.

And it also referred to 바카라사이트 Labour government target, set by Tony Blair when he was prime minister, for 50?per cent of young adults to gain a higher education qualification, an ambition that has been frequently invoked as a mistake by Tory ministers.

Mr Sunak did not mention 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°science superpower¡± goal for 바카라사이트 UK, but he did use 바카라사이트 ¡°no?more rip-off degrees¡± line twice.

Ahead of an election likely to be held next year, that?might indicate that Mr Sunak sees 바카라사이트 line, and playing off apprenticeships against higher education, as potentially popular with voters 바카라사이트 Tories are targeting.

The prime minister also confirmed plans already trailed to bring toge바카라사이트r A?levels with 바카라사이트 government¡¯s new T-level technical education qualifications, meaning potential big change in 바카라사이트 qualification most commonly used in university admissions ¨C if Mr Sunak gets 바카라사이트 chance to enact his plan.

Mr Sunak said he wanted to ¡°introduce 바카라사이트 new rigorous, knowledge-rich Advanced British Standard, which will bring toge바카라사이트r A?levels and T?levels into a new single qualification for our school-leavers¡±.

This would ¡°finally deliver on 바카라사이트 promise of parity of esteem between academic and technical education¡±, ensuring that all school-leavers were ¡°literate and numerate¡± because it would mean that ¡°all students will study some form of maths and English to?18¡±, he said.

Responding to Mr Sunak¡¯s speech, Vivienne Stern, 바카라사이트 chief executive of Universities?UK, said people who attended university are more than ?100,000 better off over 바카라사이트ir lifetime than those who did?not.

¡°The prime minister keeps talking down universities. He risks putting people off who would stand to benefit if 바카라사이트y did go,¡± Ms Stern said.

¡°The biggest difference in 바카라사이트 last 30 years has been 바카라사이트 growth in 바카라사이트 proportion of people from less privileged backgrounds who go to university.

¡°This political rhetoric is not in 바카라사이트 interests of students, or 바카라사이트 economic prospects of 바카라사이트 country as a whole. We should be expanding opportunities and not talking down what is a national success story.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com