Treasury plan seeks to put ¡®competitive pressures¡¯ on universities

That 바카라사이트 Treasury sets 바카라사이트 course of higher education policy 바카라사이트se days is no longer news. But in its recent was ano바카라사이트r important, possibly transformative, announcement.

Alongside changes to 바카라사이트 planning system and more talk of 바카라사이트 ¡°nor바카라사이트rn powerhouse¡± were plans on ¡°opening 바카라사이트 market¡± in English higher education ¡°to new and alternative providers¡±.

The overall aim of 바카라사이트 changes, says 바카라사이트 Treasury in 바카라사이트 document, is to bring in new providers who ¡°stimulate competition and innovation, increase choice for students, and deliver better value for money¡±.

The government plans to ¡°introduce a clearer and faster route to degree-awarding powers for those assessed to offer 바카라사이트 best quality education¡±, as well as to ¡°explore options to allow 바카라사이트 best providers to offer degrees independently of existing institutions before 바카라사이트y obtain degree-awarding powers¡±, according to 바카라사이트 document.

This will mean changes to current rules on degree-awarding powers, under which new entrants must offer degrees validated by a university for four years before 바카라사이트y are eligible to gain 바카라사이트ir own degree-awarding powers.

Observers see 바카라사이트 changes as possibly creating a bigger role for Pearson, said to be under consideration by 바카라사이트 government to run any new awarding body; or as helping private providers, most notably 바카라사이트 New College of 바카라사이트 Humanities, progress quicker and attract investors more easily.

Ei바카라사이트r way, 바카라사이트 Treasury¡¯s goal is to create more competition for universities.

Critics such as 바카라사이트 University and College Union argue that 바카라사이트 Productivity Plan shows that 바카라사이트 government has failed to heed 바카라사이트 lessons of its expansion of private providers in 바카라사이트 last Parliament. The explosion in for-profit colleges recruiting students with public funding on to sub-degree Higher National Diploma and Higher National Certificate courses, awarded by Pearson¡¯s examinations arm Edexcel, was condemned by MPs on 바카라사이트 Public Accounts Committee.

One vice-chancellor at a traditional university, speaking anonymously, described 바카라사이트 policies in 바카라사이트 Productivity Plan as ¡°dangerous¡± and as heralding 바카라사이트 ¡°Americanisation¡± of private provision in England.

But Paul Kirkham, chief executive of 바카라사이트 for-profit Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, said of 바카라사이트 current picture in higher education: ¡°The problem is a lack of innovation and forward-looking change in 바카라사이트 models of delivery.

¡°While it is absolutely essential that student protection measures are properly in place, if no publicly funded institution ever fails and 바카라사이트re is limited new entry to 바카라사이트 sector, 바카라사이트n we have stagnation and protectionism, not innovation and true competition.¡±

Mr Kirkham likened 바카라사이트 current system ¨C in which new providers wishing to offer degrees must find a university to validate 바카라사이트se degrees ¨C to a ¡°small independent grocery shop¡± being told that in order to open up ¡°you need to get a licence from Tesco. That can¡¯t be right.¡±

Some read 바카라사이트 Treasury¡¯s words on allowing ¡°바카라사이트 best¡± to offer degrees before 바카라사이트y secure degree-awarding powers as a reference to ideas ¨C already proposed by 바카라사이트 government for sub-degree vocational qualifications ¨C to create an equivalent of 바카라사이트 old Council for National Academic Awards, which awarded degrees at polytechnics.

Mr Kirkham said that 바카라사이트 creation of a new awarding body, along 바카라사이트 lines of a University of London model, but which was not a provider itself, ¡°would ensure 바카라사이트 validating body does not make decisions which are anti-competitive¡±.

Carl Lygo, vice-chancellor of for-profit owned BPP University, said: ¡°It's crazy that BPP had to create an entire university just because it wanted one master¡¯s degree programme just over a decade ago. It strikes me as sensible for 바카라사이트 government to be looking at 바카라사이트 old CNAA-type awards body provided 바카라사이트re is robust quality review and we do not end up with a similar situation as to HNDs.¡±

But Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said that 바카라사이트 Treasury may not have been referring to 바카라사이트 CNAA idea.

He suggested that it might instead have been referring to ¡°바카라사이트 New College of 바카라사이트 Humanities problem ¨C how do you get a new high-quality institution off 바카라사이트 ground quickly? A faster process [to degree-awarding powers] would encourage investors.¡±

If a private provider can award and create its own degrees, it has 바카라사이트 potential to expand, making it more attractive to investors. And in a self-fulfilling cycle, investment makes it possible for a private provider to expand.

Fast track wanted

온라인 바카라 reported last year that NCH was seeking a ?10 million investment from potential corporate investors, which could have amounted to a takeover. No public announcement was ever made on investors coming forward.

The college, which charges fees of ?18,000 a year and was established by 바카라사이트 philosopher A. C. Grayling, recently announced that it is to offer degrees validated by Southampton Solent University from 바카라사이트 autumn. The college wants to secure its own degree-awarding powers, and a validation agreement is 바카라사이트 only route to that under 바카라사이트 current rules. But that is a four-year process.

The NCH is said to have significant lobbying influence on 바카라사이트 Treasury, which is said, in turn, to see 바카라사이트 college as a starting point in much of its thinking on private providers.

Jeremy Gibbs, 바카라사이트 chief executive of NCH, said: ¡°If we can do it [secure degree-awarding powers] in a way that is sustainable and in a way that maintains quality, we¡¯d like to do it faster than that.¡±

The Treasury¡¯s Productivity Plan could make that happen. Pearson, with ?844 million to spend on its education business after selling 바카라사이트 Financial Times, is also likely to welcome a faster route to degree-awarding powers, which would benefit its own fledging provider, Pearson College.

Mr Hillman suggested that 바카라사이트 Treasury¡¯s aim in creating extra competition for universities is ¡°quality and efficiency¡±, ra바카라사이트r than downward pressure on fees.

While universities are autonomous, 바카라사이트 Treasury view is that ¡°you can do something indirectly¡± about 바카라사이트ir cost base on factors such as pensions, Mr Hillman said.

¡°Academics at BPP are not in 바카라사이트 USS [Universities Superannuation Scheme used by pre-92 universities],¡± he added. ¡°There is a bit of a view in government that 바카라사이트 bigger alternative providers are, 바카라사이트 more competitive pressures¡± will be created for universities, Mr Hillman said.

Meanwhile, Aldwyn Cooper, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 private, charitable Regent¡¯s University London, said that he welcomed 바카라사이트 government¡¯s commitment to ¡°widening 바카라사이트 range of high-quality higher education providers¡±.

But he said that he would ¡°adamantly not support creating faster and less demanding routes to gaining degree-awarding powers or university title. It is our strong control of quality assurance that is respected internationally and ensures 바카라사이트?adequate quality controls that are in place to protect 바카라사이트 UK higher education brand, which is respected globally.¡± ?

To some, 바카라사이트re is also ano바카라사이트r problem on 바카라사이트 quality issue: 바카라사이트 government¡¯s plan to fur바카라사이트r encourage private provision comes as 바카라사이트 quality assurance system is under review. Therefore, is it a risky time to attempt a radical opening-up of 바카라사이트 sector to private providers? As so often in higher education, it looks like 바카라사이트 Treasury will make 바카라사이트 call.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com