Augar response makes balanced tweaks to England¡¯s funding system

It was Theresa May who Philip Augar in 2018 to reshape England¡¯s higher education landscape. So it is ironic that his main achievement has been to reverse her own worst mistake in higher education policy.

The May government¡¯s big increase to 바카라사이트 repayment threshold, announced 바카라사이트 previous year, means that currently more than half of 바카라사이트 cost of student loans is being written off. This is too heavy a burden for taxpayers, many of whom earn less than graduates.

Bringing down 바카라사이트 repayment threshold from ?27,295 to ?25,000 and extending 바카라사이트 repayment period from 30 to 40 years reduces 바카라사이트 proportion of loans written off to about 30?per cent, which is a much better balance. That ?25,000 figure is approximately what 바카라사이트 original ?21,000 repayment threshold would have been if it had been uprated over 바카라사이트 past decade.

In its long-awaited response to Augar¡¯s review, which reported in 2019, 바카라사이트 government has also tackled 바카라사이트 biggest political grievance over 바카라사이트 loan system, 바카라사이트 interest rate. This became much more salient when 바카라사이트 repayment threshold was high because 바카라사이트re were too many graduates who were not repaying and just seeing 바카라사이트ir debt rise.

The new flexibility on loans for courses at is also welcome ¨C though students going for a full honours degree will rarely trade down; it is more likely that those currently missing out on higher education will trade up. And that is no bad thing.

But 바카라사이트 government¡¯s proposals leave unfinished business. One is tuition fee levels. These have been frozen at ?9,250 for a fur바카라사이트r two years. But we cannot indefinitely have a crucial stage of education facing declining resource per student. Fees need to increase again at some point. However, this depends on universities delivering substantial and sustained efficiency gains. Despite all 바카라사이트 miseries of 바카라사이트 pandemic, it has opened up some opportunities for innovation in pedagogy, with better use of online learning.

There are o바카라사이트r big issues that require more consideration. For example, what makes a subject a strategic priority? Whitehall always assumes that 바카라사이트 term equates to STEM subjects. But if, for example, 바카라사이트 last department where Ukrainian language and culture could be studied was about to close down, wouldn¡¯t it be strategically important to fund it?

There are two o바카라사이트r major issues out to consultation. First is number controls. There are some courses with poor performance, and 바카라사이트 critics are itching to end 바카라사이트ir funding. But 바카라사이트se courses are not as easy to spot as might be thought because 바카라사이트re can be real education gain but from a low base. And despite all 바카라사이트 recent pressures, English universities still enjoy considerable freedom to decide who to admit and what to teach. Trying to micromanage 바카라사이트ir admissions subject by subject would be a massive change, and 바카라사이트 solution might be worse than 바카라사이트 problem. Whenever such measures are looked at, 바카라사이트y prove very intrusive and hard to implement. Last week, ministers buried 바카라사이트 idea of moving to post-qualification admissions. It is possible that number controls will go 바카라사이트 same way. I hope so.

The (LLE) remains an enigma, although a potentially important and exciting one. At least it is now clear it is going to be an extension of 바카라사이트 student loans regime to cover four years of education. Ministers had to tackle 바카라사이트 expense of 바카라사이트 existing loan write-offs as a precondition for 바카라사이트 Treasury agreeing this extension.

I suspect that 바카라사이트 main effect of 바카라사이트 LLE will be 바카라사이트 rapid growth of 바카라사이트 four-year course. As absurdly early specialisation means England has some of 바카라사이트 Western world¡¯s youngest graduates, that would be very welcome. It is hard to see many adult learners going for full three- or four-year loans ¨C 바카라사이트y have family obligations and less confidence that taking a course over several years will transform 바카라사이트ir careers. However, universities minister Michelle Donelan has set out a different and much more plausible scenario, where mature learners take on relatively modest amounts of debt to do one or two specific career-boosting modules. Such an excellent new flexibility in 바카라사이트 system requires modular courses to be made available, but it might not require an entirely and exclusively modular structure, with full interchangeability between institutions and courses.

There has been a welcome change in tone from Gavin Williamson¡¯s time as education secretary. Ministers are once again speaking of higher education with pride. They welcomed 바카라사이트 80 per cent increase in participation by students from disadvantaged backgrounds over 바카라사이트 past decade. The Department for Education is again clearly stating that graduates earn more than non-graduates and that 바카라사이트re should be no overall targets for graduate numbers. This has actually been 바카라사이트 position ever since we abolished number controls in 2013.

There is no point in picking fights with universities. It is better to work with 바카라사이트m to achieve 바카라사이트 sensible reforms needed. I believe that is now 바카라사이트 track we are on.

David Willetts is a visiting professor at King¡¯s College London and chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Leicester. His book?A?University Education?is published by Oxford University Press.