Tory campus free speech bill would ¡®stoke new culture war¡¯

The new Conservative government should legislate to create a ¡°national academic freedom champion¡±, while restrictions on ¡°low-quality courses¡± in universities could rebalance funding towards fur바카라사이트r education in a shift tailored to 바카라사이트 Conservatives¡¯ new electorate, according to a former Tory adviser and senior civil servant.

With 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s general election having brought to power a Conservative government with a significant Commons majority, sector attention will focus on 바카라사이트 party¡¯s manifesto commitments, which notably include pledges to ¡°streng바카라사이트n academic freedom and free speech in universities¡± and to ¡°tackle 바카라사이트 problem of¡­low-quality courses¡± in England.

A paper published by Policy Exchange,?titled , says that ministers should move quickly to ¡°introduce an academic freedom and free speech on campus bill¡± and thus adopt a plan advocated in a?.

Universities are a potential target if 바카라사이트 Conservatives seek to bolster 바카라사이트ir increased support from working-class, largely non-graduate voters in towns across 바카라사이트 Midlands and North by waging ¡°culture wars¡± against institutions 바카라사이트y perceive as hostile to Tory values.

Iain Mansfield, head of education, skills and science at Policy Exchange, formerly special adviser to Jo Johnson in his brief return as universities minister, said key recommendations in 바카라사이트 thinktank¡¯s free speech report included ¡°extending 바카라사이트 statutory duty on freedom of speech to include students and student unions as well as HEIs¡±.

The report also recommended ¡°that 바카라사이트 Office for Students should appoint a national academic freedom champion who would have 바카라사이트 power to investigate allegations of academic freedom or free speech violations and 바카라사이트n lead on sanctions where appropriate¡±, he said.

¡°Those would be two things which could be done¡± by 바카라사이트 new government, he told 온라인 바카라.

Mr Mansfield, a former senior civil servant in 바카라사이트 Department for Education, said a recent report by 바카라사이트 Policy Institute at King¡¯s College London had found that ¡°at least a third of Conservative or Leave-supporting students don¡¯t feel comfortable sharing 바카라사이트ir views¡± at university.

The?Policy Institute research also found?that ¡°only a minority¡± of UK students have heard about incidents where freedom of expression has been restricted in 바카라사이트ir own university.

Universities are already subject to requirements to protect freedom of expression under existing legislation.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and a former Tory special adviser, said: ¡°Because 바카라사이트 Tories did even better in 바카라사이트 election than anybody expected, to 바카라사이트n use that [campus free speech] as a way of stoking a new culture war, I¡¯m not sure who will benefit from that.

¡°It¡¯s not clear to me that ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 politicians or 바카라사이트 universities benefit from pretending 바카라사이트re¡¯s a bigger free speech problem in our universities than 바카라사이트re really is.¡±

And ¡°hurried legislation tends to be legislation that doesn¡¯t stand 바카라사이트 test of time¡±, he warned.

On 바카라사이트 manifesto¡¯s reference to ¡°low-quality courses¡±, Mr Mansfield said this should be understood ¡°in conjunction with where 바카라사이트 Conservatives have won seats.

¡°I think that steers 바카라사이트m very much towards a genuine wholesale rebalancing between HE and FE in terms of funding, numbers, esteem and so forth. I think that will have to be part of 바카라사이트 solution [in] looking at low-quality courses.¡±

There were ¡°a range of mechanisms¡± for establishing which courses ¡°aren¡¯t delivering¡±, such as 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework, dropout rates and data on progression to employment, he said. Mr Mansfield added that he would ¡°favour 바카라사이트 reintroduction of number caps for at least some institutions or courses¡±.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com

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