Are students currently getting out of higher education what they have been promised? There is a strong sense that each university should be unique, appealing to a diverse range of student interests, remarked Diana Beech, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, who said: “There is no one-size fits all”. The panel considered whether £9,000 a year was a worthwhile investment, given the actual real-world benefits of going to university; Jade Haley, President of the University of Worcester’s Students’ Union, argued that “When I came to university I knew I was making an investment in my future”, describing the experience as “priceless”. The panellists were all against the concept of differential fees between degrees, saying that it would both discourage disadvantaged applicants to pursue more expensive degrees and diminish how prospective students perceived the quality of some degrees if they were to cost less.
Also at stake was the question of diversity and inclusion in today’s universities. Green, Vice Chancellor at Worcester, admitted that “The English system is still riddled with snobbery”. He emphasised the need to sustain a network of strong institutions with an interest in widening participation, focusing not only on successful institutions but creating better links between employers and universities that are perhaps considered less prestigious.
If you missed this, you may enjoy event 222, Ofsted, Inspected, on Wednesday 30 May at 11.30am.