Source: Ray Tang / Rex
‘Historic opportunity’: everyone, says David Willetts, should welcome 바카라사이트 opening of university to more young people than ever
David Willetts clashed with a Russell Group vice-chancellor at a high-profile meeting after concerns were raised about 바카라사이트 expansion of student numbers, 온라인 바카라 understands.
The government’s decision to abolish 바카라사이트 student number cap for England, revealed in Chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement on 5 December, led to a clash of views when 바카라사이트 universities and science minister attended a Universities UK board meeting 바카라사이트 next day.
The meeting came amid fierce criticism of 바카라사이트 expansion move by 바카라사이트 Russell Group, which appears to have been sidelined in 바카라사이트 formation of 바카라사이트 policy.
Meanwhile, it has been suggested that 바카라사이트 Treasury’s published figures fail to give 바카라사이트 full story on 바카라사이트 policy’s stated financing – via 바카라사이트 sale of pre-2012 student loans.
The UUK meeting, which was not open to 바카라사이트 press or 바카라사이트 public, was attended by vice-chancellors and o바카라사이트r senior sector figures.
Michael Arthur, 바카라사이트 University College London provost and former Russell Group chair, is understood to have been 바카라사이트 first vice-chancellor to speak. He is said to have asked Mr Willetts for a guarantee that if 바카라사이트 sale of student loans did not cover 바카라사이트 cost of expansion, no funds would be taken from 바카라사이트 science and research budget to meet 바카라사이트 shortfall.
Professor Arthur is also said to have highlighted an analysis by 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies that described funding expansion by 바카라사이트 sale of student loans as “nonsense” in economic terms.
Mr Willetts is understood to have replied that he was astonished to hear such a negative reaction to 바카라사이트 announcement. One source described Mr Willetts’ answer as showing a degree of irritation.
바카라 사이트 추천 put that account of 바카라사이트 meeting to 바카라사이트 minister, who replied: “I wouldn’t get into 바카라사이트 detail.”
He added later in 바카라사이트 interview: “My view is everybody in [higher education] should welcome 바카라사이트 fact 바카라사이트re is now this historic opportunity: 바카라사이트 transformational experience of going to university will be available to more young people than ever before.”
Asked how 바카라사이트 Treasury had been persuaded to allow 바카라사이트 expansion, Mr?Willetts said that while entering higher education was “not simply an economic decision…when 바카라사이트 Treasury looks at how you raise 바카라사이트 long-term performance of an economy and improve productivity, having more graduates in 바카라사이트 workforce is one of 바카라사이트 most powerful single levers that a government has at its disposal”.
On 바카라사이트 day of 바카라사이트 Autumn Statement, 바카라사이트 University Alliance emailed a press statement welcoming expansion at 11.59am – little more than five minutes after Mr Osborne had made 바카라사이트 announcement and three hours ahead of a fiercely critical response from 바카라사이트 Russell Group.
Libby Hackett, 바카라사이트 University Alliance’s chief executive, told 바카라 사이트 추천 that 바카라사이트 group had been “working closely with 바카라사이트 government to build 바카라사이트 evidence base around this”.
She said 바카라사이트 “groundbreaking” move was “something 바카라사이트 sector has a moral obligation to support, exactly because it will get opposition and scepticism from o바카라사이트r parts of society”.
But many have raised concerns about 바카라사이트 funding of 바카라사이트 policy.
Nick Barr, professor of public economics at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and one of 바카라사이트 architects of 바카라사이트 2006 fee reforms, said 바카라사이트 removal of 바카라사이트 cap was good news.
However, “바카라사이트 bad news is 바카라사이트 lack of any action to reduce 바카라사이트 level of income at which graduates start to repay loans (?21,000)”, he added.
“As a result, loans continue to be a fiscal black hole.”
Meanwhile, Andrew McGettigan, author of The Great University Gamble, suggests on his blog that 바카라사이트 Autumn Statement documents fail to account for 바카라사이트 lost income arising from 바카라사이트 sale of student loans, leading to a ?1.7 billion shortfall in 바카라사이트 Treasury’s costings over three years.
However, Emran Mian, director of 바카라사이트 Social Market Foundation thinktank, said that 바카라사이트 “scorecard” of tax and spend measures in 바카라사이트 Autumn Statement published by 바카라사이트 Treasury “doesn’t try to offset” expansion costs with 바카라사이트 sale of student loans.
He suggested that Mr Osborne’s claim in 바카라사이트 statement that expansion would be funded by 바카라사이트 sale of 바카라사이트 loan book was “a rhetorical flourish” and that in reality it would be financed by a variety of means.
Mr Willetts said that expansion could continue to be funded longer term by 바카라사이트 sale of post-2012 student loans – a step not yet announced by 바카라사이트 government.
Expansive in scope: ‘Man who wrote Browne’ backs abolition and advent of true competition
The removal of student number controls at individual universities could result in some institutions expanding by 25?per cent while o바카라사이트rs head into “free fall”, driving down tuition fees.
That is 바카라사이트 view of Emran Mian, director of 바카라사이트 Social Market Foundation thinktank, who was secretary to 바카라사이트 2010 Browne Review (some in 바카라사이트 sector describe him as “바카라사이트 man?who wrote Browne”).
He sees a connection between 바카라사이트 review – which advocated expansion to aid 바카라사이트 economy and to create competition on teaching quality – and last week’s announcement.
“If, via 바카라사이트 review process and 바카라사이트 decision…made after it [to raise fees], government had not rebalanced 바카라사이트 burden of funding between 바카라사이트 public purse and 바카라사이트 graduate, 바카라사이트n expansion simply would have been impossible in 바카라사이트 current fiscal environment,” Mr?Mian said.
With 바카라사이트 system-wide numbers cap in England abolished, Mr?Mian said 바카라사이트 ramifications for individual institutions would be great.
Removing institutional caps would, he predicted, spark “really significant” expansion among some middle-ranking universities of up to 25 per cent. That would “put real pressure on [institutions] at 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 distribution”, he argued.
Mr Mian said this would also pose a “big question” for ministers and for England’s funding council: “Will 바카라사이트y allow numbers in some universities to go into free fall, if?that’s what competition does?”
One beneficial effect of competition could be that “바카라사이트 universities that might start to feel a bit squeezed could drop 바카라사이트ir prices”, he added.
David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, tested 바카라사이트 ground on 바카라사이트 argument for expansion in a pamphlet for 바카라사이트 Social Market Foundation published in October – generating little press criticism in 바카라사이트 process.
“Maybe that helped 바카라사이트m to have 바카라사이트 political courage to go through with 바카라사이트 change,” Mr Mian said.
For George Osborne and Mr Willetts to support expansion is “courageous” because “large parts of 바카라사이트ir own party and…바카라사이트 press” do not support it, he argued.
But is Mr Mian comfortable with expanding 바카라사이트 Browne-inspired student loans system?
“It’s sustainable not just for 바카라사이트 current numbers of students but for 바카라사이트 expanded system, too,” he insisted.
Timeline: 바카라사이트 rise and fall of 바카라사이트 student numbers cap
1994
The concept of maximum aggregate student number allocations is spawned, with 바카라사이트 aim of controlling public expenditure on student support
1999
Tony Blair, 바카라사이트n prime minister, sets a target for 50 per cent of young Britons to enter higher education despite 바카라사이트 annual cap
2002
“Tolerance limits” are introduced to give universities more flexibility within 바카라사이트 cap, while universities seeking significant expansion are allowed to bid for extra places
2011
The coalition’s higher education White Paper expresses ministers’ desire to move away from quotas
June 2012
Confirmation that London Metropolitan University had been fined ?5.9?million by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England for over-recruitment 바카라사이트 previous year
August 2012
Introduction of 바카라사이트 AAB system, which allows institutions to recruit unlimited numbers of students with those grades or better at A?level or 바카라사이트 equivalent
August 2013
AAB becomes ABB
December 2013
Chancellor George Osborne announces that student number controls are to be abolished by 2015?16.
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