21 April 2010
‘Could do better’ million+ verdict on Higher Education election pledges
The university think-tank million+ has today published a Higher Education ‘Scorecard’ with an invitation to Parliamentary Candidates to respond to what the think-tank says are key policy issues for the next Government. The scorecard sets out a ‘Gold Standard’ for higher education policies alongside an analysis of the positions of the three main parties in England on a wide-range of issues including their commitments to higher education investment, future fees policy, research funding, social mobility, postgraduate study and Departmental responsibility for universities which million+ says should have a Cabinet rank Government spokesperson. The think-tank concludes that all parties – Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrat – ‘could do better’ and is asking Parliamentary Candidates to say whether they would promote the million+ Gold Standards if they are elected.
Professor Les Ebdon, Chair of the university think-tank million+, said: “The general election campaign is now well underway and yet the future of universities and students has hardly been mentioned by any of the three main political parties in England. Over 2.5 million people either work or study at the UK’s universities. They deserve to know whether the Party Leaders and their candidates see universities and students as part of their investment strategy for the recovery or part of their cuts programme to reduce the deficit. Many of those applying to university will also want to know whether there will be a funded place for them in 2010.
“The million+ scorecard shows that no party has met the million+ ‘Gold Standard’ and all must do better. Over the final weeks of the campaign we need to hear much more from the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat Parties and we are asking parliamentary candidates to say whether they are prepared to commit to the million+ ‘Gold Standard’ in term of future funding policies for universities and a fairer funding system for student support in the next Parliament.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- million+ is a leading university think-tank, working to solve the complex problems in higher education www.millionplus.ac.uk
- For more information, comment or interviews from million+ please contact Victoria Mills on 020 7717 1659 or 07900 277819
- Could do better: the scorecard for higher education has been sent to parliamentary candidates and is available here million+ HE Scorecard.pdf (129KB)