The British Academy responds to the Augar Review of Post-18 Education and Funding

Today, an independent panel led by Philip Augar published its Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, an independent review of higher and further education funding commissioned by Prime Minister Theresa May.

In response to the Review, Professor Sir David Cannadine, President of the British Academy said:

“This is an important piece of work. The topic is significant and the review is timely. It is greatly to be welcomed that all of tertiary, post-18 education has been looked at in the round.

“We agree with the panel that a market-driven approach to higher education has not worked. We encourage the government to act on this by taking a long term, strategic view, not solely based on student choice, demand and immediate research priorities.

“As a nation, the subjects the British Academy represents – the humanities and social sciences – are among our greatest strengths and exports and are crucial to understanding many of the biggest challenges we face in the world today. Arts, humanities and social science graduates are employed in a wide range of fields. They hold roles that have great social as well as economic value, many of them underpinning the service sector which accounts for 80 percent of the UK’s economy. Any changes to the current system and its funding must maintain or boost the UK’s position as a world leader in the humanities and social sciences.

“We have welcomed the opportunity to engage with this review. The Government’s response to implementing the Augar panel's recommendations must ensure that any decisions about the availability or distribution of funding for higher education are based on solid evidence. We will soon be publishing a further analysis of the contribution arts, humanities and social science graduates make to the economy and to society, which builds on our report, The Right Skills.”