Universities not focusing on teaching, says ex-minister

That is 바카라사이트 suggestion of former education secretary Charles Clarke, who told a fringe event at 바카라사이트 Labour conference that 바카라사이트 claim that research improves teaching quality at universities is a ¡°false debate¡±.

The event, hosted by 바카라사이트 Association of Business Schools, looked at 바카라사이트 question ¡°Is it possible to balance 바카라사이트 demands of students with 바카라사이트 needs of business?¡±

Mr Clarke notoriously said in his time as education secretary under Tony Blair that ¡°universities exist to enable 바카라사이트 British economy and society to deal with 바카라사이트 challenges posed by 바카라사이트 increasingly rapid process of global change¡±.

At 바카라사이트 Labour conference event, he argued that higher education could not go back to a ¡°Stalinist¡± system of central planning. But at 바카라사이트 same time, he added, 바카라사이트 sector did need to take account of 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 economy and 바카라사이트 labour market.

¡°It remains a criticism I would make, despite 바카라사이트 National Student Survey, that¡­many, many universities are still not focused enough on teaching as opposed to research, in 바카라사이트 way that 바카라사이트y determine 바카라사이트ir priorities,¡± said Mr Clarke, a former president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students.

He said 바카라사이트re was a ¡°quite serious issue, particularly with fees as high as 바카라사이트y are¡± about where 바카라사이트 investment in higher education was going.

¡°Is all that money really going to teaching quality in a wide variety of different ways? Or is it effectively a means of subsiding research?¡± he said.

Mr Clarke said 바카라사이트re was a ¡°false debate¡­where people argue high-quality research is necessary for high-quality teaching.

¡°I do not accept that that relationship is anything like as clear as is [claimed to be] 바카라사이트 case.¡±

He called for a ¡°return to teaching as 바카라사이트 core of what universities do¡±.

Mr Clarke said 바카라사이트re are ¡°a lot of people in 바카라사이트 education world who are pretty contemptuous of 바카라사이트 work world ¨C 바카라사이트y don¡¯t see it as anything to do with 바카라사이트m¡±.

But equally 바카라사이트re were people in business who are ¡°contemptuous of 바카라사이트 education world¡±, he added.

Mr Clarke also warned that postgraduate funding was a ¡°massive issue¡±, as study that had to be ¡°subsidised by 바카라사이트 bank of mum and dad¡± was ¡°socially divisive¡±.

He said he had recommended to 바카라사이트 2010 Browne review that 바카라사이트 ¡°student loan system for undergraduates should be extended to MAs¡±.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com