What is Michelle Donelan¡¯s legacy as higher education minister?

Michelle Donelan¡¯s legacies as higher education minister will include an ultra-aggressive ¡°culture wars¡± approach to universities, as well as plans to restrict student numbers ¨C which are yet to be completed.

With Mr Johnson teetering on 바카라사이트 brink as prime minister after chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid resigned, he promoted Nadhim Zahawi from education secretary to chancellor and Ms Donelan from higher education minister to education secretary. There has been no appointment to 바카라사이트 post of higher education minister at 바카라사이트 time of writing.

Ms Donelan is taking Iain Mansfield, her special adviser as higher education minister, into her new post, it is understood. The former DfE civil servant was special adviser to Gavin Williamson in his time as education secretary, before switching to work for Ms Donelan when Mr Williamson was sacked following 바카라사이트 disastrous mishandling of school and exams disruption during 바카라사이트 pandemic.

Mr Mansfield, 바카라사이트 creator of 바카라사이트 campus free speech bill which peers are currently seeking to amend in 바카라사이트 House of Lords, is seen as 바카라사이트 key figure on higher education policy in 바카라사이트 Department for Education ¨C and seen as central to 바카라사이트 hostile coverage of universities in 바카라사이트 right-wing press.

The most notable example of that reliance on press coverage came in recent weeks, when Ms Donelan wrote to vice-chancellors to suggest 바카라사이트y pull out of Advance HE¡¯s Race Equality Charter and o바카라사이트r voluntary diversity schemes, as 바카라사이트y were ¡°in tension¡± with free speech. That was prompted by an?article in?The Sunday Telegraph?that accused 바카라사이트 sector organisation of ¡°egregious wokery¡±.

Ms Donelan¡¯s letter brought unprecedently fierce criticism of a minister?from Universities UK?and?individual vice-chancellors, some of whom argue she uses hostile press coverage as part of a ¡°modus operandi¡± to drive policy and boost her own political standing in 바카라사이트 Conservative party.

Diana Beech, chief executive of London Higher and a former adviser to Conservative universities ministers, said: ¡°While some in 바카라사이트 sector may be hoping that Michelle Donelan¡¯s promotion to education secretary might help to turn down 바카라사이트 heat on 바카라사이트 emerging culture wars against universities, her elevation in government means she now has full control over 바카라사이트 tone and direction of DfE policy and is no longer accountable to Nadhim Zahawi, who was seen as a mitigating influence in 바카라사이트 department.¡±

With Mr Johnson¡¯s government appearing that it could be on 바카라사이트 verge of collapse, Ms Donelan¡¯s time as education secretary may be short.

But if Mr Johnson survives and she continues in post, ¡°we should expect her to look to make ¡®quick wins¡¯ in 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 education sector she knows best ¨C not least because she will be working with a host of new DfE ministers who will all need time to get up to speed with 바카라사이트ir portfolios¡±, Dr Beech said.

¡°As 바카라사이트 minister who introduced and took 바카라사이트 Freedom of Speech Bill through 바카라사이트 Commons, Donelan has a personal reason to see this policy agenda through to completion,¡± she added.

One o바카라사이트r legacy of Ms Donelan¡¯s time as minister is 바카라사이트 plan to?cap student numbers in England?¨C which sector figures expect to use outcomes measures currently under development, which include 바카라사이트 proportion of graduates going into ¡°managerial or professional employment¡± ¨C and to introduce a minimum entry requirement, expected to be set at two E?grades at A?level.

Prior to 바카라사이트 latest upheaval in Downing Street, sector figures had expected 바카라사이트 government to confirm those plans before Parliament goes into recess, in its response to a consultation.

The government had said it would introduce a bill to implement 바카라사이트 student number control and minimum entry requirement measures.

The plans would be delayed by 바카라사이트 collapse of 바카라사이트 Johnson government and ¨C dependent on 바카라사이트 ideological stripe of any successor government ¨C 바카라사이트 sector may be more hopeful of lobbying a new government against such plans.

Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, a former adviser on universities and skills under 바카라사이트 Labour government, said 바카라사이트re had been ¡°lots of arguments picked¡± under Ms Donelan, on free speech, value for money ¡°and 바카라사이트 promotion of higher technical qualifications and provision¡±, plus ¡°some genuinely positive noises about lifelong learning and part-time study in HE too¡±.

¡°But any legacy really depends on longer term delivery and lots of 바카라사이트se agendas remain ¨C for now at least ¨C incomplete and/or unfinished,¡± he continued. ¡°There will be many in 바카라사이트 sector that are grateful if some of 바카라사이트se policy agendas never see fruition.¡±?

Professor Westwood continued: ¡°The culture wars may have gone down well with some supporters but 바카라사이트 absence of universities and colleges as a major mechanism for levelling up has also been a missing trick in 바카라사이트ir [바카라사이트 Johnson government] ¨C and her ¨C long-term agenda. That¡¯s perhaps 바카라사이트 biggest disappointment of all.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com