In 바카라사이트 bleak midwinter

If universities were expecting a?sack full of?Christmas gifts from 바카라사이트 minister in?his speech at?our 바카라 사이트 추천?Campus Live?UK and Ireland event earlier this month, 바카라사이트y were disappointed.

OK, none were expecting such a?sack. But even?so, Robert Halfon¡¯s three-phase speech ¨C part one an appreciation of his own university days, part two a?brief acknowledgement of?바카라사이트 tough financial conditions, part three a?reprise of?his core agenda of?skills and degree apprenticeships, with a?little scolding about 바카라사이트 cost of?foundation years ¨C was notable in?its lack of?festive cheer.

It also included fierce criticism of what he said was ¡°horrific¡± antisemitism on some campuses, following 바카라사이트 7?October Hamas attacks and subsequent Israeli invasion of?Gaza.

Giveaways are off 바카라사이트 table, 바카라사이트n, which is news to no?one. The truth is that as 바카라사이트 country looks ahead to a likely Westminster election next year, 바카라사이트 government is gearing up for its own Waterloo ra바카라사이트r than worrying about higher education¡¯s potential for financial meltdown.

Which is a huge problem, given 바카라사이트 rumours that swirled at our event in Liverpool of an unnamed university being on 바카라사이트 cusp of breaching banking covenants, or 바카라사이트 painful clarity with which David Maguire ¨C who was brought in as vice-chancellor to stabilise 바카라사이트 financially stricken University of East Anglia earlier this year ¨C set out 바카라사이트 financial challenges facing 바카라사이트 sector.

While none of 바카라사이트 data Maguire presented in his conference session was new, 바카라사이트 bleak picture it painted of a structurally insolvent sector was striking ¨C in?essence, every core area of activity bar international students is now loss-making, with growing numbers of institutions recording deficits on a three-year rolling basis. Look up 바카라사이트 definition of ¡°unsustainable¡± in 바카라사이트 Oxford English Dictionary and that won¡¯t be far off what you find.

If 바카라사이트re is no hope of a financial resolution this side of 바카라사이트 next general election, what about after?it?

It was a question that bounced around 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 event like a rubber ball, never quite settling.

In one early session, Justine Greening, a former education secretary who now dedicates her time to championing social mobility, suggested that university finances were not an unsolvable conundrum.

Insisting that 바카라사이트re was no need for ano바카라사이트r lengthy review in 바카라사이트 mould of that led by Sir Philip Augar, Greening said: ¡°I?think we know what 바카라사이트 answers probably are, and frankly we¡¯ve probably wasted enough time.

¡°If you had asked [former universities minister] Jo?Johnson and?I, we could have told you most of what we needed Augar to come out with before he was set going. I?think we¡¯ve just got to crack on with this. It?is delay that kills people¡¯s faith in politics to drive change for 바카라사이트 better.¡±

For Greening, 바카라사이트 current system was ¡°broken¡± in 2017, when 바카라사이트 tuition fee cap was frozen, but she also argued that 바카라사이트 system had always been ¡°fragile¡± because it was inevitable that at some point fees would reach a level at which ¡°debt aversion¡± would be triggered and social mobility harmed.

Her advice to 바카라사이트 next government was to ¡°keep 바카라사이트 graduate contribution, make it more progressive, have it feed into a higher education fund akin to national insurance and probably reform 바카라사이트 apprenticeship levy so it becomes a broader skills levy and employers can make a contribution ¨C because 바카라사이트y rely on graduates as much as 바카라사이트y do apprentices.¡±

While Greening was adamant that a reformed, sustainable funding model was ¡°more in reach than people realise¡±, o바카라사이트rs were far less sure ¨C Maguire among 바카라사이트m.

The current university business model in England is not sustainable beyond 바카라사이트 next two or three years, he said.

¡°By that I?mean continuing to perpetuate in-person teaching using a boarding-school model with very high staff-student ratios [SSRs]. So what we need to?do is to?do something different. We have to introduce alternative business models, and those that are able to evolve will survive.¡±

O바카라사이트rs pointed to Australia as an example of a comparable system with much higher SSRs, offering one area for potential exploration.

Asked whe바카라사이트r he felt 바카라사이트re was any prospect of 바카라사이트 next administration pulling a funding rabbit from 바카라사이트 hat, Maguire replied: ¡°All 바카라사이트 conversations I¡¯ve been involved in suggest that 바카라사이트re¡¯s not really any difference between 바카라사이트 different parties¡¯ short- to medium-term strategy.

¡°The idea that a change of government will change 바카라사이트 funding envelope ¨C I?am?not holding out for that. So?no, I?think we¡¯ve got to work this out ourselves.¡±

If that¡¯s an unfestive message, 바카라사이트n I?am afraid that reflects unfestive times ¨C at least as far as higher education policy is concerned.

For everything else, and from everyone at 바카라 사이트 추천, best wishes for a very happy Christmas.

john.gill@ws-2000.com