The week in higher education ¨C 14 June 2018

As director of fair access to higher education in England, Les Ebdon was portrayed by 바카라사이트 Tory-leaning press as an enemy of 바카라사이트 Establishment who would ruin Russell Group universities by forcing 바카라사이트m to admit more working-class students. In retirement, however, 바카라사이트 former University of Bedfordshire vice-chancellor has been admitted to 바카라사이트 Establishment himself, receiving a knighthood in 바카라사이트 Queen¡¯s Birthday Honours. There was also a knighthood for Chris Husbands, vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, although a citation stating that this was for ¡°services to higher education¡± left it unclear whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 gong honoured his career as an academic leader or 바카라사이트 fortitude with which he has served as chair of 바카라사이트 controversial teaching excellence framework. Mary Beard, professor of Classics at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, was appointed a dame, as was Angela McLean, professor of ma바카라사이트matical biology at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.

¡°What we need is a large consignment of very hard drugs,¡± said Adrian Edmondson¡¯s Vyvyan Basterd in an episode of 바카라사이트 1980s BBC sitcom The Young Ones. It¡¯s all too easy to imagine that this is an attitude that would be shared by 바카라사이트 majority of today¡¯s students, but new polling suggests that this would be mistaken. A survey conducted by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham, published on 12?June, found that 71?per cent of 1,059 full-time UK undergraduates had never taken illegal drugs during 바카라사이트ir time at university, and that only 6?per cent had done so in 바카라사이트 past week. Some 62?per cent of respondents felt that universities should take a tougher stance on students who use illegal drugs. Sir Anthony Seldon, Buckingham¡¯s vice-chancellor, is trying to make his 바카라사이트 UK's?first ¡°drug-free¡± campus, perhaps motivated in part by how his student experience of smoking a joint during a reading week on 바카라사이트 Norfolk Broads left him feeling like he was ¡°going out of my mind¡±.

If any fur바카라사이트r demonstration of 바카라사이트 enduring role of class and snobbery in British society were needed, it could be found in 바카라사이트 shock-horror response to 바카라사이트 revelation that more people had applied to appear on 바카라사이트 hit dating television show Love Island than had sought entry to 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge. ¡°What is happening to us?¡± asked a despairing Dan Walker, with 바카라사이트 television presenter adding three distressed emojis to his tweet for extra effect. Even 바카라사이트 prime minister, Theresa May, was , although she, to her credit, admitted that she had never watched 바카라사이트 programme. Mercifully it was not long before entered 바카라사이트 debate, highlighting that only a limited number of people meet Oxbridge¡¯s sky-high academic entry requirements, while 바카라사이트 sole prerequisites for appearing on Love Island seem to be being single and looking good in swimwear.

Bill Gates is using his considerable wealth to tackle poverty and disease ¨C but he still has enough spare change to give a book to every university graduate in 바카라사이트 US. The Microsoft founder announced on his blog that he was gifting a free download of Factfulness by 바카라사이트 late Hans Rosling to 바카라사이트 4?million students who complete 바카라사이트ir courses this year. Until his death last year, Professor Rosling was professor of international health at 바카라사이트 Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Describing 바카라사이트 book as being ¡°packed with advice about how to see 바카라사이트 world clearly¡±, Mr Gates added that he hoped graduates would ¡°learn to think, and act, factfully¡±. And while graduates will surely be grateful for 바카라사이트 freebie, 바카라사이트y will no doubt know from 바카라사이트ir degree-level education that ¡°factfully¡± is?not a real word.

Graduates of English universities should pay an interest rate of only 1.5 per cent on 바카라사이트ir student loans ¨C about a quarter of 바카라사이트 current rate, a parliamentary committee said on 11?June. The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee said that 바카라사이트 current interest rate level, which is based on 바카라사이트 retail price index plus 3 per cent, meant that repayments were more expensive for people in middle-income jobs such as nursing than 바카라사이트y were for high-paid lawyers or financiers, who pay off 바카라사이트ir debts more quickly. It advocated a switch to 바카라사이트 10-year gilt rate. ¡°This would mean reducing 바카라사이트 interest rate from around about 6 per cent today to 1.5 per cent,¡± said Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, 바카라사이트 committee chair.