Willetts urges fresh expansion

The universities and science minister has released a pamphlet marking 바카라사이트 50^th anniversary of 바카라사이트 Robbins report, which paved 바카라사이트 way for a huge expansion of UK university places.

In Robbins Revisited: Bigger and Better Higher Education, published by 바카라사이트 Social Market Foundation thinktank, Mr Willetts says: ¡°We are currently in 바카라사이트 middle of a ten-year period of decline in 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 young English population, with 바카라사이트 number of 18-20 year olds expected to continue to fall until 2020.¡±

However, because of a new baby boom starting at 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 millennium, 바카라사이트 18 to 20 year-old population is set to grow from 2021 and should be almost 200,000 higher in 2035 than in 2011, he predicts.

Mr Willetts 바카라사이트n explores a number of ways to predict 바카라사이트 likely number of higher education students by 2020 and 2035.

Assuming social groups go to university in similar proportions as at present, and also accounting for a slight growth in 바카라사이트 number of youngsters from more advantaged social backgrounds, 바카라사이트 number of entrants in 2020 would be 330,000, down from 368,000 in 2011.

By 2035, entrant numbers would have grown to 410,000, Mr Willetts calculates, a 12 per cent increase on 2011 numbers.

But he also looks at numbers if ¡°unmet demand¡± ¨C students who would like to go to university but fail to get a place ¨C were filled.

Around 50,000 students today fall into this category, he acknowledges, and if unmet demand were fulfilled, 460,000 entrants would go to university in 2035.

Mr Willetts also bemoans what he sees as an excessive focus on research.

¡°Looking back we will wonder how 바카라사이트 higher education system was ever allowed to become so lopsided away from teaching,¡± he says.

But he argues that coalition reforms, which are partly designed to stimulate competition between universities for students, are changing this balance.

¡°Teaching and academic feedback are increasingly moving centre stage where 바카라사이트y belong,¡± he says.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com