Toxic Shock
Tuesday, June 12th, 2012Higher education, once high on the government’s agenda, seems to have slipped down the list part way through the reform of the sector. In order to aid resolution of this matter Hefce, the Higher Education Funding Council for England whivh was designed as a funding body, not a planning one, has become (in England) the ‘lead regulator’ of the quasi-privatised HE sector. As there is no cap on students numbers (there was in the past) those who wish to study through the OU can take out a loan, Hefce has not much control over those universities which teaches relatively little expensive science and are likely to gain most of their income from non-Hefce sources. (more…)