Radical reforms to United Kingdom higher education policies announced

Following months of public debate and speculation over the direction of higher education policy, the British government in January unveiled radical reforms designed to make universities “more open to all students and more competitive in the world economy”.

A key decision is the removal of upfront fees while allowing universities to charge fees at levels of their choosing up to £3000 a year (payable after graduation) from September 2006, compared to the current maximum of around £1100.

The BBC summarises the reforms — What the strategy says.

The Guardian highlights the key changes in policy.

Links to the:

·           higher education strategy white paper

·           white paper’s executive summary

·           Education and Skills Secretary Charles Clarke’s announcement

·           government press release

can be accessed from this British Department for Education and Skills web page.

The most contentious debate last year was over whether the government would allow universities to charge increased fees to help recover the estimated £8-10 billion shortfall in funding.

The government has gone some way towards this but not far enough for some universities and up to 40 of Britain’s top universities plan to introduce £3000 fees as soon as they can, the Guardian reports.

Many students will face a choice between “posh but pricey” and “cheap and cheerful” degrees as a result of higher tuition fees announced by the Government, experts said in January in a Times Online article.

Economist Nicholas Barr, the man who 15 years ago designed the fees scheme, has called its belated introduction “absolutely terrific”.

The initial response to the white paper from Universities UK, the organisation that represents university heads, can be read here.

The National Union of Students’ response to the policy changes, which will mean increased debt for students, can be read here.

For links to public debate and opinion leading up to the announcement, the Education Forum’s archived hot topic United Kingdom Tertiary Education Reform has a range of resources and articles.