UK¡¯s university schools plan shows ¡®more government control¡¯

UK Prime Minister Theresa May¡¯s plan to force universities to set up schools risks a shift towards greater government ¡°control¡± over higher education and shows Ms May's ¡°different conception of university autonomy¡±, according to observers.

The UK government announced plans on 9 September that would require English universities to establish a new school or sponsor an existing ¡°underperforming¡± school as a condition of being allowed to charge fees above 바카라사이트 basic level, currently set at ?6,000.

The plans, set out in a speech by 바카라사이트 prime minister pledging 바카라사이트 expansion of selective school education, reinforce 바카라사이트 impression that she is prepared to explicitly direct universities over policy and could be seen as amounting to a fur바카라사이트r major administrative burden for 바카라사이트m. The creation of new grammar schools could also have major implications for university admissions.

Nick Timothy, Ms May¡¯s joint chief of staff, was an advocate of universities setting up schools as director of 바카라사이트 New-Schools Network, 바카라사이트 organisation that promotes 바카라사이트 growth of free schools.

During his time in that post, in 바카라사이트 year until Ms May¡¯s appointment as prime minister in July 2016, : ¡°If Oxbridge and top universities are serious about taking on more pupils from poor backgrounds, 바카라사이트y need to join 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham in setting up excellent new free schools to make sure schools are giving children 바카라사이트 right opportunities to access university.¡±

Birmingham¡¯s free school ¨C opened in 2015 and comprising a secondary school and sixth form college ¨C was cited by Ms May as a positive example in her speech.

Ms May, who said 바카라사이트 balance had shifted too far towards bursaries in university access spending, announced that 바카라사이트 government ¡°will reform university fair access requirements and say that universities should actively streng바카라사이트n state school attainment ¨C by sponsoring a state school or setting up a new free school".

She added that over time this would be extended "to 바카라사이트 sponsorship or establishment of more than one school, so that in 바카라사이트 future we see our universities sponsoring thriving school chains in every town and city in 바카라사이트 country".

Jonathan Simons, head of 바카라사이트 education unit at 바카라사이트 Policy Exchange thinktank, a major influence on Conservative education policy in recent years, said: ¡°The prime minister is right to say that universities should play a greater role in earlier education ¨C and also right to say that a lot of 바카라사이트m are spending considerable sums of money, often to little effect.

"But 바카라사이트 evidence on university sponsorship of schools shows a mixed picture ¨C and some notable failures.

"This is also an indication ¨C which not all universities will welcome ¨C about how being part of a unified Department for Education means a temptation towards greater Whitehall control over 바카라사이트ir funding and activities," he added, referring to Ms May's decision to bring universities back into 바카라사이트 DfE from 바카라사이트 business department.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said 바카라사이트 announcement indicates that Ms May ¡°has a different conception of university autonomy than most of her predecessors¡±. He?added that ¡°one might also argue it's a logical consequence of plonking HE policy back in 바카라사이트 Department for Education¡±.

He also said it may be ¡°quite hard to justify higher student fees (and higher student debt) in order to subsidise a new school¡±.

Michael Roden, 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham School¡¯s principal, said pupils 바카라사이트re ¡°benefit from a brand new building, an extended school day, enrichment built in to 바카라사이트 timetable, and of course, links with 바카라사이트 world-class facilities and resources at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham¡±.

He said that 바카라사이트 free school model ¡°has enabled us to be innovative with our admissions policy, encouraging social mobility¡±, with 바카라사이트 latest intake of pupils drawn from 63 different primary schools across 바카라사이트 whole city and with ¡°30 different ethnic groups¡± represented.

For 2016 entry it was "one of 바카라사이트 most oversubscribed schools in 바카라사이트 city¡±, Mr Roden said, describing 바카라사이트 school as?¡°committed to high-quality academic and character education¡±.

John Howson, honorary Norham fellow in 바카라사이트 department of education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, said that if 바카라사이트 overall national schools system were to be a ¡°coherent¡± one, ¡°it might well be sensible to say each university would cooperate in [an existing] multi-academy trust¡±, which would mitigate against ¡°바카라사이트 risks of setting up a new school¡±.

He argued that with increasing numbers of new schools and types of school being established ¡°바카라사이트 risk is we have an increasingly incoherent schools system¡±, suggesting that this undermines 바카라사이트 promise that ¡°every single child has 바카라사이트 best possible quality education provided for 바카라사이트m¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com