As Jo Johnson proposes two-year degrees, it’s right that students should be treated like consumers
A comedian once remarked that Jo Johnson, the universities minister, looked as if a wizard had waved his wand over Boris Johnson with the incantation “be slightly more attractive”.
This may be unkind to the Johnson brothers, but the younger (Jo) is certainly emerging as the rather more interesting of the two. Boris is better known (and remains popular with Tory party members) but while he spends most of his time either lighting or putting out fires, brother Jo is quietly getting to grips with the higher education brief.
Johnson (Jnr) announced yesterday that university students in England will be offered the option of an accelerated two-year degree, which could cost up to £11,000 a year – instead of the current three-year standard undergraduate degree that can cost a maximum of £9,250 per year. This would represent a 20 per cent saving on the same qualification and is a welcome step towards offering more choice in response to a market demand.
The government says a two-year course, already offered by some institutions, would be attractive to mature students as well as “driven, motivated students… who want a quicker route to work”. Critics worry about the possible impact of shorter courses on the academics’ research work or employment terms, and Labour have denounced the move as nothing but “another plan to raise tuition fees”.
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This opposition is short-sighted, and ignores the significant savings on offer to students, many of whom are questioning the value of a traditional three-year course with limited contact hours and an expensive price tag.
Of course a shortened course won’t suit every student, any more than it would suit every degree subject, but we should welcome this liberalising agenda.
Market forces in the higher education sector should not be limited to allowing providers to charge more; they should also allow consumers greater choice and flexibility.
The knee-jerk opposition of the Labour party, which focuses on concern for teaching staff, should not impede the rights of students to seek provision that suits their needs. As Milton Friedman said, “underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself”.
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