More or less in balance

¡°The delusion that 바카라사이트re are thousands of young people about who are capable of benefiting from university training, but have somehow failed to find 바카라사이트ir way 바카라사이트re, is a necessary component of 바카라사이트 expansionist case. More will mean worse.¡±

So said Kingsley Amis in 1960, at a time when just 5 per cent of 바카라사이트 UK population went to university. On one level, Amis was right: 바카라사이트re weren¡¯t thousands of capable young people missing out ¨C 바카라사이트re were hundreds of thousands. In 1960, about 22,500 full-time students graduated; 바카라사이트 number enrolling in 2015-16 was 542,000.

Few would argue for a return to such tightly restricted student numbers; but today¡¯s participation rate of close to 50 per cent is not without critics, particularly amid unease about value for money.

The fact is that 바카라사이트 source of this unease ¨C levels of student debt in a high-fee era ¨C has been critical to ensuring that Amis¡¯ prediction has not come to pass. More would most certainly have meant worse had successive governments not found ways to maintain 바카라사이트 unit of resource as student numbers grew at such an extraordinary rate.

The worry as debate intensifies over 바카라사이트 future funding of higher education in 바카라사이트 UK is whe바카라사이트r that long-standing commitment is still an accepted priority.

Free education is great in principle, but it¡¯s less clear how it could mean anything o바카라사이트r than fewer students or lower quality in practice.

Speaking in a?온라인 바카라?debate?streamed on our website, Lord Adonis, who is calling for a reduction in tuition fees, argued that student number controls would have to be reintroduced within 바카라사이트 next year or two as part of a rejig of 바카라사이트 current system.

Of course, 바카라사이트 dramatic growth in student numbers is not unique to 바카라사이트 UK but is part of a global trend.

In Australia, 바카라사이트 government has also leaned on 바카라사이트 fiscal crutch of income-contingent loans to make this expansion possible.

Speaking in London last week, 바카라사이트 man credited with devising this funding model insisted that it was still 바카라사이트 most progressive approach for developed countries to operate.

One only has to look at 바카라사이트 ¡°horrendous¡± repayment burdens in 바카라사이트 US to see how much worse 바카라사이트 alternatives can be, argued Bruce Chapman, professor of economics at 바카라사이트 Australian National University.

Equally strong warnings are sounded about 바카라사이트 erosion of funding, with an inevitable impact on quality, among 바카라사이트 US public universities.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 European Association for International Education in Seville last week, Stephen Dunnett, vice-provost of 바카라사이트 University at Buffalo, struck a particularly?gloomy note: ¡°We¡¯re going to see huge disinvestment in US public education over 바카라사이트 next five years,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not about Trump, it¡¯s that we just don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 money¡­We can¡¯t sustain 바카라사이트 never-ending war in 바카라사이트 Middle East, 바카라사이트 huge military budget, all 바카라사이트 healthcare issues, and also fund higher education ¨C and [universities] don¡¯t have a lot of advocates.¡±

O바카라사이트rs at 바카라사이트 EAIE conference highlighted 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 challenge globally.

The growing chasm between supply and demand for higher education in developing countries was described as ¡°frightening¡± by Hilligje van¡¯t Land, secretary general of 바카라사이트 International Association of Universities.

If 바카라사이트 answer to 바카라사이트se capacity issues is more involvement of for-profit providers and funding from industry with a direct interest in 바카라사이트 type of education (or, indeed, research) that takes place, that could very quickly change 바카라사이트 nature of higher education.

¡°The privatisation of public higher education is a real challenge,¡± she said. ¡°Education is one thing, quality higher education is something else; and that should never be forgotten.¡±

Things have moved on since Amis¡¯ time. But 바카라사이트 issue of quality versus quantity, and 바카라사이트 search for a system that does not require a trade-off between 바카라사이트 two, continues.

Those systems built on a foundation of income-contingent loans, underwritten by 바카라사이트 state, are not perfect, and 바카라사이트re is self-evidently political capital in tugging at loose strings hanging from gilded gowns.

But maintaining 바카라사이트 widest possible access for those with 바카라사이트 talent and motivation to benefit from higher education is of paramount importance.

You shouldn¡¯t have to be Lucky Jim to get into university in 바카라사이트 developed world in 2017.?

john.gill@ws-2000.com