By tim, on July 12th, 2011 at 4:55 pm OFFA’s announcement on the sanctioned fee levels for English universities from September 2012 seems to have got rather lost in the heat of the red-blooded battles that are raging around all things News International at the moment. And yet, what is happening on University access and funding certainly has far more lasting consequences to the UK than anything that comes out of the permanently strained relationship between politicians and the media.
OFFA suffers at the moment from being a watchdog with no teeth, as well as having little bark when compared to the might of the universities and their cartels. . . . → Read More: Holding the universities to account
By tim, on June 28th, 2011 at 9:38 pm I'm still working my way through the HE white paper. Earlier on this morning I noted that I was intrigued by a reference on the BBC News website to idea that "local FE colleges will be able to offer Open University degrees" in future.
Well, the white paper mentions the Open University by name twice. Once in section 3.5, where it talks about the National Student Survey (NSS). It says:
[...] It is noteworthy that three very different types of institution do consistently well in the NSS: the Open University, Buckingham and Oxford and Cambridge. What they share, in very . . . → Read More: The HE white paper – mentions of the Open University
By tim, on June 28th, 2011 at 6:58 am I see from the report on the BBC website that the long-awaited HE white paper is finally due out later on today. While most of the comment currently seems to be concerned with the idea of ranking universities according to graduate employment outcomes, I'm intrigued by the idea that "local FE colleges will be able to offer Open University degrees" in future.
I shall resist the temptation to publish what I think about all this until I've had a chance to read the white paper itself.
Update: 28th June, 9.40pm – some first observations: The HE white paper – mentions . . . → Read More: Higher Education white paper due out today
By tim, on June 19th, 2011 at 7:01 pm We live in a world that demands simple solutions to complex problems.
There's a problem with runaway dads not supporting their children. Simple fix, according to David Cameron – stigmatise them. They're as bad as drunk drivers. Problem solved!
Some employers might be reluctant to take on disabled people. Simple fix, according to another Tory MP – make them work for less than the minimum wage. Problem solved!
There are too many teenage pregnancies. Simple fix, according to Nadine Dorries MP – give girls abstinence lessons in school. Problem solved!
Family relationships are breaking down. Simple fix, accord to John . . . → Read More: Silver bullets
By tim, on May 8th, 2011 at 7:45 pm Back in October of last year, before the tuition fees vote, I wrote a rather impassioned email to Nick Clegg, at his invitation, expressing my dismay at the way the party was handling the issue inside the coalition. I didn’t publish my email on the blog at that time (though I did mention that I’d sent it.)
This is (part of) what I wrote:
Dear Nick,
I have been a member of the Liberal Democrats since the party was founded, having originally been a member of the SDP since I was at university in the mid 1980s. While there is . . . → Read More: What the Liberal Democrats should do next
By tim, on May 2nd, 2011 at 12:37 pm Update: 21st July 2011 – the OU fees for September 2012 onwards have now been published – see this article for details.
The OU has been silent so far on what it intends to charge for its courses post September 2012, and there’s no early end to this silence in sight.
We now know what the majority of full-time institutions are looking to charge and it’s well above the £7,500 mean that the government worked out its funding calculations on (£8,665.03 at the moment, according to Times Higher Education.) It looks like OFFA are going to have their work cut . . . → Read More: Open University students in limbo over fees until spring 2012
By tim, on April 22nd, 2011 at 11:40 am I wasn’t going to write a post on the Alternative Vote (AV) referendum, but given the generally poor way in which both campaigns have explained the choice, I’ve decided to stick my oar in.
You should know that I’m voting for a change to the AV system, but reluctantly. I’d like to see a fully proportional system such as the single transferable vote (STV) within multi-member constituencies but as that’s not on offer, the only decision that needs making on 5th May is whether AV is “better” than the current system. And my logic says that it is and in . . . → Read More: Why I agree with Nick. And Ed, Caroline and Nigel too.
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