With media attention understandably focussed elsewhere, last week's Government response to the Augar Review on Higher Education (in England) has largely passed by unnoticed. It’s also getting on for three years since the Review was published! Arguing for more 'value for money' from the HE sector, Augar's real aim (like the Tories) real aim, is … Continue reading Government lowers student loan repayment cap →

The pandemic has caused a serious crisis for Tory higher education policy. Wanting the university sector to be restricted to ‘the few’,  or at the very least, highly stratified, with the right students in the right institutions, Conservative governments have tried to establish an alternative vocational route for young people by  introducing new ‘technical’ qualifications … Continue reading Tories higher education strategy goes off the rails? →

The government has announced that it will review higher education admissions to improve social mobility. Gavin Williamson says the current admissions system penalises bright pupils from more disadvantaged backgrounds. While the overall trend is for grades to be over-predicted, Institute of Education research says that socially disadvantaged students are likely to be marked down. The … Continue reading Should university admission procedures be changed? →

As government focussed attention exclusively on reopening schools  ( in the hope more parents would be able to return to work),  universities anxious about the financial implications of empty campuses and with young people pressured by  their schools and  the anxieties of  parents,  taking up places rather than deferring, it hasn't  needed rocket science to … Continue reading University lockdowns – the nightmare continues for the covid generation →

The latest Institute for Fiscal Studies report outlines the perilous financial situation facing universities. UK higher education expanded as a result of 'mass participation' – as  young people, encouraged by government, but also facing declining employment options flooded to university despite the fees. As a result, the total income of the UK university sector is … Continue reading With up to 13 universities facing bankruptcy; is the student bubble about to burst? →

Jane Lethbridge and Patrick Ainley Business Faculty, University of Greenwich This Green paper is an indicative draft for discussion, a think-piece for staff and students at a university confronting the crisis of Tertiary Education with proposals presenting Green policy solutions.   Introduction Tertiary Education (TE) is in crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic impacting upon … Continue reading THE COVID-19 CRISIS AND THE FUTURE OF TERTIARY EDUCATION, A GREEN PAPER →

Government has agreed to provide ‘stabilisation’ support for the university sector – now plunged into crisis as a result of the potential collapse in overseas student numbers. https://education-economy-society.com/2020/04/27/falls-in-student-numbers-put-universities-in-crisis/ But providing longer term finance is likely to come at a price. According to the Financial Times (07/05) any further support would require a ‘restructuring regime’ aimed … Continue reading HE crisis – more cash but only if there’s ‘restructuring’ →

Faced with a significant fall in student numbers, because of the covid crisis, universities are calling for a government bailout. Research for the University and College Union  (UCU), based on the intentions of new students, estimates  a £2.5 billion shortfall and 30 000 job losses  The report predicts that universities could lose £1.5bn in international … Continue reading Falls in student numbers put universities in crisis. →

The Institute of Fiscal Studies has published detailed research on graduate earnings compared with non-graduates. It's based on those attending university in the mid-2000s. According to IFS,  earnings of male graduates grow strongly throughout their 30s and  far outstrips that of non-graduates.  Male graduates enjoy a £15k growth between 30 and 40, compared with just … Continue reading What price a graduate? →

Final analysis by UCAS shows that nearly 40% of 18 year olds now receive at least one 'unconditional' offer  (or an offer that would be unconditional if the applicant agrees to make the university their first choice ). While this continues to reflect growing marketisation and the desperate attempts of institutions to attract students - … Continue reading Universities: 40% now get unconditional offers →