Next month will bring the moment of truth for this year’s record numbers of university applicants. On 19 August hundreds of thousands of A-level students find out their exam results. Those who achieved the grades they needed should be accepted by the universities they have applied to. Those who haven’t will have to join the clearing scrum to try and get onto a course elsewhere. Read more...
Stephen Court
Stephen Court is senior research officer at University and College Union, where his work includes funding, finance and employment in post-16 education. He previously worked as a researcher for BBC Radio 4, and writer for the BBC World Service. He has had articles on further and higher education published by Public Finance, and articles on education and business published by The Guardian, The Times, Financial Times and The Sunday Times.
All the young dudes by Stephen Court
Young people might not have carried the news in this election but there is enough political feeling there to make the next generation of voters a vital constituency Read more...
6 May 2010 | Stephen Court
Hidden fees, by Stephen Court
University top-up fees were a very awkward electoral issue for the Labour government in the 2005 general election. So it is not surprising that in the present election campaign, fees have been kept at bay. The issue of whether full-time undergraduates should have to pay to go to university is still live – but not quite kicking, since the current review of fees, under Lord Browne, will not report until after the May election. Read more...
26 April 2010 | Stephen Court
University challenge, by Stephen Court
These are uncertain times for universities. Today’s announcement by the Higher Education Funding Council for England of its recurrent funding allocations for universities for 2010-11 show that more than a quarter will have a real terms cut and over half face a cash cut. Read more...
18 March 2010 | Stephen Court
Do cuts spell doomsday for higher education? By Stephen Court
Some commentators are presenting a doomsday scenario for higher education. Thirty institutions may not survive, suggests one. Recently announced cuts will bring the sector to its knees in six months, says another. Read more...
23 February 2010 | Stephen Court
Access denied, by Stephen Court
Spending cuts to higher education will hamper efforts to increase social mobility. So it might be time to ask employers to pay their fair share Read more...
22 January 2010 | Stephen Court
Higher education’s belt is tightened, by Stephen Court
Three days before Christmas is a pretty good time to have a bad news day on funding. With most people either at office parties or out doing some final gift shopping, few will hear the sound of belts being firmly tightened. Read more...
8 January 2010 | Stephen Court
Higher sense of freedom, by Stephen Court
Does university freedom matter? Universities in the UK have, in theory, freedom – or more precisely, autonomy – from political interference to decide which students to enrol, what to teach, what degrees to award, and what to research. Closely linked is the concept of academic freedom – the freedom under law for academics to question and test received wisdom, to put forward new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions. Read more...
9 November 2009 | Stephen Court
Frozen assets, by Stephen Court
As a teenager, the shadow chancellor changed his name from Gideon Osborne to George Osborne. He may need to change it again to Samson to give him strength to cope with the hostility likely to come his way if indeed he gets to impose a pay freeze for public sector workers earning more than £18,000. Read more...
8 October 2009 | Stephen Court
CBI suffers from physics envy, by Stephen Court
The CBI – which brands itself ‘the voice of business’ – is sounding more and more like a political party. Today it published New government in action – its manifesto for whoever wins the next election. Read more...
28 September 2009 | Stephen Court
An education in overseas spending, by Stephen Court
The review of university top-up tuition fees – due to start by December at the latest – will no doubt look overseas for some guidance. Read more...
8 September 2009 | Stephen Court
University funding subject to conditions, by Stephen Court
Universities’ response to the government’s announcement of an extra 10,000 places in higher education for 2009/10 has been somewhat muted. Read more...
29 July 2009 | Stephen Court
What’s a degree worth? By Stephen Court
I saw this morning that the University of Teesside is trumpeting on the Guardian’s website that its degree is worth, on average, £117,000. Read more...
6 July 2009 | Stephen Court
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