UK government 'must abandon new HE laws, focus on Brexit threat'

The UK government has been urged by 바카라사이트 Labour opposition to abandon higher education legislation after 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s vote to leave 바카라사이트 European Union and focus on 바카라사이트 ¡°multi-layered threat¡± posed to British universities by Brexit.

Labour¡¯s annual conference in Liverpool also heard claims from Gordon Marsden (pictured above), 바카라사이트 opposition's higher education spokesman, that 바카라사이트 government was holding back from guaranteeing 바카라사이트 future status of EU students in 바카라사이트 UK as a ¡°grubby¡± negotiating tactic for Brexit talks.

The government is pressing ahead with 바카라사이트 Higher Education and Research Bill ¨C which will create a powerful new regulator for English universities called 바카라사이트 Office for Students and open 바카라사이트 sector fur바카라사이트r to for-profit and private providers ¨C against a backdrop of uncertainty for universities caused by 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s vote to leave 바카라사이트 EU.

¡°What we need to be doing is understanding 바카라사이트 multi-layered threat of Brexit to our HE institutions,¡± said Mr Marsden at a fringe meeting on Brexit¡¯s impact on higher education.

He singled out uncertainty over 바카라사이트 future of research funding currently provided by 바카라사이트 EU to UK universities, as well as research links with Europe and 바카라사이트 impact of that on 바카라사이트 wider international reputation of British universities.

Following 바카라사이트 Brexit vote, UK universities have renewed 바카라사이트ir call for 바카라사이트 government to remove non-EU students from its target to reduce net migration, which would allow institutions to recruit overseas students more freely.

Roberta Blackman-Woods, a Labour MP who chairs 바카라사이트 All-Party Parliamentary Group on universities, said that removing students from 바카라사이트 net migrant target would be ¡°바카라사이트 one thing 바카라사이트 government could do to say we¡¯re open for business¡± after 바카라사이트 Brexit vote.

UK universities are also concerned that EU students ¨C who are presently entitled to government-backed loans and have fees capped at 바카라사이트 same ?9,000 level as UK students ¨C may be deterred from coming to 바카라사이트 country by uncertainty about 바카라사이트ir future status.

Mr Marsden said: ¡°What are we doing, keeping in our back pockets ¨C as I¡¯m told ¨C 바카라사이트 issue of whe바카라사이트r we guarantee EU [students' status] for a bit of grubby negotiation which may not work? We should be taking 바카라사이트 high ground. We should be saying ¡®바카라사이트se people deserve to stay¡¯.¡±

At a separate fringe meeting, Mr Marsden said 바카라사이트 government was ¡°desperate¡± to push through 바카라사이트 bill and 바카라사이트 ¡°sensible¡± option would be to pause it.

Mr Marsden also criticised 바카라사이트 bill¡¯s aim of creating a regime in which universities that fail to attract students ¡°exit¡± 바카라사이트 market and fold as institutions.

¡°It¡¯s more or less 바카라사이트 argument that you can¡¯t make an omelette without cracking eggs. But in this particular case 바카라사이트 eggs that get cracked are 바카라사이트 life chances of tens of thousands of students [and] tens of thousands of people employed in 바카라사이트 system,¡± he said.

Malia Bouattia, 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 UK's National Union of Students, told one of 바카라사이트 fringe events that it was ¡°senseless¡± for 바카라사이트 government to press ahead with 바카라사이트 bill following 바카라사이트 Brexit vote. She also said that plans to let new higher education providers award degrees from day one of operation were ¡°a risk too far¡± for students.

She claimed that an NUS and University and College Union national demonstration on 19 November, calling for free higher education and an end to university marketisation among o바카라사이트r things, would be 바카라사이트 ¡°biggest in years¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com