Supply-Side Reform in English HE

Here’s a long quote from David Willetts, who was speaking back in 2012. It will be worth recalling this statement of intentions over the next few days.

“We are serious about supply-side reform. Those who are churlish about this forget that many of our universities started as alternative providers challenging Oxbridge dominance by offering something different often with support from local councils and local businesses. Those alternative providers were dismissed at the time – the new University College London was denounced when it was set up as a “mere lecture-bazaar” and now it is one do the world’s great universities. Now we are once more opening up our system to a wider range of providers that can take on students with public loan support.

“There are many ways an alternative provider can enter our system. We welcome new start ups, and international institutions with experience abroad. Or an existing university might set up a commercial subsidiary aimed for example at the overseas market. The current transformation of the College of Law is another example of what can be done provided of course charitable funds are protected. I envisage a wider range of providers with a particular focus on teaching, or concentrating on the efficient delivery of licences to practise, or focussing on distance learning.

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“We have excellent universities. We have a regulatory system with the QAA which gives confidence in our academic standards.