DEBATE: With student debt now blowing a hole in the government’s budget, should tuition fees be cut? December 20, 2018 With student debt now blowing a hole in the government’s budget, should tuition fees be cut? Iain Mansfield, a former senior civil servant, says YES. This week’s decision to reclassify student loans has exposed the myth that tuition fees were the only way of making mass higher education affordable – they were never affordable, just off [...]
Our broken university system is setting future Britain up to fail November 30, 2018 Two news stories this week should strike terror into the hearts of anyone concerned with the British higher education system. First, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) released figures on the impact of a university degree on earning potential, and found that sometimes it just isn’t worth it. By the age of 29, men who studied [...]
Big ambitions and grand challenges: How the industrial strategy fares one year on November 29, 2018 It’s now a year since the industrial strategy was launched. Encompassing a 255-page tome, it laid five foundations for productivity: ideas, people, infrastructure, places and the business environment. It promised waves of sector deals between government and industry to de-risk investment and improve workers’ skills. Six such deals were announced in the first year, from automotive [...]
We are taking the first step to challenge university groupthink November 28, 2018 The world of academia may seem remote from everyday politics. But it would be wrong to conclude that the arguments made by university scholars do not matter for Westminster. In fact, the ideas that dominate in universities at any given time typically go on to strongly influence public debate and policy. This isn’t surprising, as most [...]
Two-year university degree plans to cut cost of tuition fees November 18, 2018 University students will save money on their degrees and enter the workplace sooner thanks to plans to roll out two-year courses, the Minister for Universities said today. The Department for Education said shorter university courses, also known as accelerated degrees, will be a boost both for students in higher education and for businesses looking to [...]
Pearson tells investors it expects to return to growth as it swaps textbooks for online classes October 17, 2018 Education publishing business Pearson said it is on track to return to growth this year, despite declining US demand weighing down on its finances. The education publishing business today said it is “set up well for the future” as it anticipates a return to underlying profit growth for 2018, sending shares up four per cent [...]
It’s time to throw young employees into the deep end September 28, 2018 It takes a village to raise a child – so goes a famous African proverb that describes the role of entire communities in nurturing a safe environment for a child to grow. To me, however, this is a maxim that should extend to a young person’s transition into adulthood, and how we continue to [...]
Universities and businesses must work together to engineer the recruits of the future September 25, 2018 From investment bankers to artisan bakers, employers are constantly on the lookout for bright young employees who are going to help their organisation thrive. Given the present uncertainty, it is more important than ever that British businesses have access to a robust recruitment pool. The media rhetoric of a growing skills gap suggests that [...]
Durham, Exeter and St Andrews: These are the university where students get most for their money September 8, 2015 Out of the top 20 universities in the UK, Durham is where students' money goes the furthest, according to research by Moneysupermarket. By looking at a series of living costs, including rent, average price of a pint and cost of car insurance, they found that students at this northern university were most likely to [...]
It’s time to break the assumption that university is the best path for everyone September 6, 2015 As thousands of students start to pack their bags, load up their cars and leave the comforts of home behind, the same question arises each year: is three years at university essential to a successful and fulfilling career? I would argue that it is not. And I’m the living proof! I attended university for [...]