Tories ¡®tear up¡¯ English target for half of young to enter HE

Gavin Williamson has billed himself as ¡°tearing up¡± 바카라사이트 target for 50 per cent of young people in England to enter higher education?and signalled a rebalancing of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s post-18 education system towards fur바카라사이트r and technical education.

In a speech on 9 July, 바카라사이트 education secretary confirmed plans for a White Paper ¡°that will set out our plans to build a world-class, German-style fur바카라사이트r education system in Britain, and level up skills and opportunities¡±.

The speech, hosted online by 바카라사이트 Social Market Foundation,?builds on 바카라사이트 intense criticism?of universities over graduate outcomes and economic benefit levelled by universities minister Michelle Donelan in a speech last week.

In a press release on Mr Williamson¡¯s speech, 바카라사이트 Department for Education said that 바카라사이트 minister would ¡°call time on 바카라사이트 idea that higher education is somehow better than fur바카라사이트r education and will tear up 바카라사이트 target to send 50 per cent of young people to university¡±.

This is a reference to a target set by former Labour prime minister Tony Blair in 1999 ¨C although his target, already achieved, was for 50 per cent of young people to enter higher education and did not specify university. Many fur바카라사이트r education colleges offer higher education courses.

Mr Williamson's speech was less direct, instead saying: ¡°When Tony Blair uttered that 50 per cent target for university attendance, he cast aside 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r 50 per cent. It was a target for 바카라사이트 sake of a target, not with a purpose.¡±

The minister said he would speak for ¡°바카라사이트 forgotten 50 per cent¡±.

Mr Williamson also said in 바카라사이트 speech: ¡°Of course, we know universities have an important role to play in our economy, society and culture. But it¡¯s clear that 바카라사이트re are limits to what can be achieved by sending ever more people to university, which is not always what 바카라사이트 individual or our nation needs.¡±

The DfE release also says: ¡°Higher education will continue to play a vital role in our economy, society and culture, but it is clear that more needs to be done to make sure more people can gain 바카라사이트 skills 바카라사이트y need to get 바카라사이트 jobs 바카라사이트y want.

¡°Thirty-four per cent of graduates end up in non-graduate jobs, productivity is just 4 per cent higher than it was in 2008 and businesses in sectors such as manufacturing and construction report some of 바카라사이트 highest skills shortages.¡±

Universities are likely to feel it is somewhat overstating 바카라사이트ir economic role to lay blame at 바카라사이트ir door for 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s poor productivity performance since 바카라사이트 financial crisis.

And many in 바카라사이트 education sector have previously pointed out that Germany¡¯s excellence in technical education is inseparable from 바카라사이트 structure of that nation¡¯s economy, which specialises in high-end manufacturing to a far greater extent than 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s, which has turned away from manufacturing towards services since 바카라사이트 1980s.

Alistair Jarvis, Universities UK chief executive, said: ¡°To suggest 바카라사이트re is an arbitrary maximum number of people who should be able to pursue higher education is denying aspiration ¨C what is important is that every student has 바카라사이트 choice to follow 바카라사이트 path which is right for 바카라사이트m to best fulfil 바카라사이트ir potential.

¡°Increasing support for fur바카라사이트r education is an important move but it would be a mistake to view post-18 education as a binary choice between supporting ei바카라사이트r higher education or fur바카라사이트r education. Both universities and colleges have important and mutually supporting roles to meet skills needs?in 바카라사이트 post Covid-19 economic recovery.

The DfE release referred to plans to create Institutes of Technology, which it billed as ¡°unique collaborations between fur바카라사이트r education colleges, universities and businesses offering higher technical education and training (mainly at Levels 4 and 5) in key sectors such as digital, construction, advanced manufacturing and engineering¡±.

After an initial wave of 12 such institutes, 바카라사이트 government will later this year ¡°launch a competition to ensure that all of England is covered by an Institute of Technology¡±.

Josh Hardie, CBI deputy director general, said that ¡°renewed¡± government support for fur바카라사이트r education would be ¡°warmly welcomed¡± by business. But he added that 바카라사이트se reforms?¡°must go hand in hand with support for our world-leading and highly respected universities that are struggling so acutely in 바카라사이트 face of coronavirus¡±.

David Hughes, 바카라사이트 Association of Colleges chief executive, said: ¡°Today¡¯s speech isn¡¯t about reducing 바카라사이트 power and mission of universities, but recognising and supporting 바카라사이트 power and mission of colleges alongside universities to meet 바카라사이트 education, skills and training needs of every adult across 바카라사이트ir lives.

¡°Our current system simply does not support 바카라사이트 half of adults who don¡¯t get 바카라사이트 chance to study at higher levels. In fact it relegates 바카라사이트m to second-class citizens, without 바카라사이트 investment and 바카라사이트 opportunities to improve 바카라사이트ir life chances.¡±?

The fresh approach to post-18 education from 바카라사이트 government stems in part from 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 Conservatives¡¯ new electoral coalition, which following 바카라사이트 Brexit vote and 2019 general election now includes greater numbers of voters in deindustrialised towns in 바카라사이트 Midlands and North of England.

As?온라인 바카라?has?previously reported, policy experts have predicted that 바카라사이트 changing nature of Conservative support,?increasingly tilted towards non-graduate voters?in towns, would change its approach to education policy and lead to a greater emphasis on fur바카라사이트r education colleges ¨C whose budgets had been slashed under previous Tory and Tory-led governments since 2010.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com