Alistair Jarvis, Chief Executive of Universities
UK, has set out five
tests against which recommendations from the
upcoming publication of the Augar review should be judged.
Alistair Jarvis has called on parliamentarians to judge the Augar
panel’s recommendations on the basis of what is most likely to be
enable Britain to thrive, not on political expedience.
Universities UK are sharing these five tests with government,
media and other stakeholders, as it continues to champion the
role of universities in local communities up and down the country
as employers, drivers of social mobility, engines of economic
growth and hubs of civic engagement.
Passing these tests will mean that the review panel has succeeded
in putting forward recommendations that will enable universities
to sustain and grow their positive impact on individuals, the
economy and the whole of society.
One: will the proposals improve access to higher
education?
Anyone who wants the opportunity to achieve their ambitions in
going to university, should be able to do so. Progress has been
made on narrowing the gap in participation between the most
disadvantaged and the least, but we can and should be more
ambitious on widening participation. Our guiding principle
should be to expand opportunity, not constrain it.
Two: will the proposals help address Britain’s skills
gaps?
With graduate job vacancies forecast to increase and graduate
unemployment rate at a forty-year low; we need more students
successfully progressing through both further and higher
education to meet rising employer demand. There are clear
benefits in further expanding the number of university graduates,
as our competitors are doing. Britain needs to rise to this
challenge and support more of the population through
higher-level study.
Three: will the proposals sustain the quality of British
post-18 education?
Students at British universities enjoy some of the best learning
experiences in the world. It is a reason that international
students choose the UK as their preferred destination of study.
It should not be taken for granted, and it costs money to
sustain. In England, tuition fees replaced public funding to
universities and the fee level has not kept pace with
inflation. Cutting the fee level, without a commitment
to make up the shortfall with public funding, will see
bigger class sizes, poorer facilities, and less advice, support
and choice for students.
Four: will the proposals help Britain’s universities to
contribute to the quality of life in their local
communities?
Universities currently generate a knock-on impact of nearly
£100bn for the UK economy and support almost a million jobs
throughout the UK. In areas where traditional industries have
declined the university is always at the heart of regeneration
efforts, providing the research, innovation and skills to
stimulate business growth and attract external investment. If the
proposals support the ability of universities and colleges to
engage with their communities, our whole society will be better
off.
Five: will the proposals give students ownership of their
choices about the course and career path that is right for
them?
The current system allows students to choose the sort of course
they should study and where, but we can improve the information,
advice and guidance available to help them make those choices and
reach their goals. Meanwhile the funding system needs to be clear
and simple to promote access and ensure students understand the
financial support available. But fundamentally we should respect
and support students’ choices – as it is they who will have to
live with the consequences.
ENDS
Notes
-
Augar’s recommendations
must be judged on how they benefit Britain, an
article by Alistair Jarvis, was published by Wonkhe yesterday
