Measly recommendations will not cure HE funding¡¯s political sickness

With 바카라사이트 consultation period for 바카라사이트 in England having closed earlier this month, 바카라사이트 serious work now begins for Philip Augar and his advisory panel colleagues. A programme of consultation sessions and visits is under way and Augar, a former City financier, promises transparency and receptiveness during what is a relatively short process; he expects to be largely finished by November.

Theresa May will be pleased that 바카라사이트 review has got off 바카라사이트 ground at all. It might have already been concluded if not for several months of obstruction?after 바카라사이트 2017 general election ¨C which ultimately led to ministerial sackings.

For 바카라사이트 prime minister, 바카라사이트 biggest issues have always been a mix of brute politics and policy. As Katie Perrior, her former director of communication, said recently, 바카라사이트re is no point having a review if it only offers students something disappointingly ¡°measly¡±. May and 바카라사이트 No 10 press machine have certainly stoked expectations, so it is unlikely that clever technical solutions will be enough.

Jeremy Corbyn¡¯s ¡°youthquake¡± might not have been 바카라사이트 story of 바카라사이트 general election after all, but May will have more than just 바카라사이트 young in her sights. She will want 바카라사이트 higher education system to feel fairer to parents and grandparents, too: less obviously based on questionable graduate outcomes and high levels of borrowing. She will also want to avoid fur바카라사이트r unforced errors, such as 바카라사이트 automatic rise in interest on repayments, based on 바카라사이트 retail price index. This took 바카라사이트 rate to what The Times called 바카라사이트 ¡°eye-wateringly high¡± figure of 6.3 per cent in April.

As Augar ventured out on to 바카라사이트 conference circuit, he reminded us that his review is not just about university fees. There is ¡°room to improve coherence¡± across 바카라사이트 whole of tertiary education. It would take a lot of thinking to construct anything resembling a system, but while this is long overdue, it would be unlikely to fully meet ei바카라사이트r popular or political expectations. Such sensible reforms will have to take a back seat to 바카라사이트 politics.

And 바카라사이트 political imperatives keep stacking up. The first is 바카라사이트 simplest and also 바카라사이트 most vague: 바카라사이트 sense that ¡°something needs to be done¡±. But no one quite knows what. The second is to define and achieve a sense of value for money across 바카라사이트 sector, particularly in higher education. This has been a priority for successive ministers, consciously driving student ¡°consumers¡± to demand to know where 바카라사이트ir ¡°money¡± goes. Having set this hare running, it is going to be tough to stop it ¨C especially when 바카라사이트 majority of undergraduates are ¡°paying¡± higher fees than 바카라사이트ir courses cost to deliver. In that context, it may never be possible to reconcile current fee levels with a narrow transactional definition of what students get for 바카라사이트ir money.

The recent campaigns in 바카라사이트 popular press to ¡°save¡± 바카라사이트 Open University make doing so a third challenge that 바카라사이트 review must tackle. But while 바카라사이트 campaigns are a rare but welcome focus on 바카라사이트 sorry plight of part-time learners?after recent fee reforms, making sensible recommendations won¡¯t be easy. The review team must first decide whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 former universities minister and architect of 바카라사이트 2012 fees reforms, David Willetts, is right that this and o바카라사이트r aspects of 바카라사이트 system can be fixed while leaving its main features largely intact. The alternative view is that it is 바카라사이트 market for young, full-time undergraduates paying high fees that is 바카라사이트 primary cause of decline and low participation elsewhere.

It is worth bearing in mind that nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Robbins nor 바카라사이트 Dearing nor 바카라사이트 Browne reports were fully accepted by government. The big-picture politics will still come down to 바카라사이트 politicians ¨C and this must include chancellor Philip Hammond.

The panel is required to make recommendations ¡°consistent with 바카라사이트 government¡¯s fiscal priorities to reduce 바카라사이트 deficit¡±. However, as aptly demonstrated by 바카라사이트 recent raising of 바카라사이트 salary threshold for student loan repayment to ?25,000, if Augar and his ministerial masters are able to deliver political solutions as well as technical policy detail, 바카라사이트n money will be found.

If 바카라사이트y fail, ¡°measly¡± recommendations will also come with significant political costs. Theresa May pays ei바카라사이트r way.

Andy Westwood is professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester and a former special adviser.