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Higher Education Regulation update by Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson – British Academy response
26 Jul 2024

Today’s Written Ministerial Statement signalled that the government is beginning to address the stability of our world-leading higher education sector. It has also published a report, Fit for the Future: Higher Education Regulation Towards 2035, for the independent review of the Office for Students.
The report notes that the Higher Education sector’s resilience has been tested in recent years and outlines the need to develop a regulation model which is fit for the future. The report calls for a more strategic regulator, and that the OfS should focus on four key priorities in the short term:
- The quality of higher education;
- The financial sustainability of higher education providers;
- Acting in the student interest;
- Protecting how public money is spent.
The government accepts the core analysis of the review and recognises that strong regulation is a crucial element for a stable, world-leading higher education sector.
The British Academy’s Chief Executive Hetan Shah commented:
“It is reassuring that the Secretary of State is responding to the issues facing Higher Education and we welcome the publication of the independent Fit for the Future report. Our Manifesto outlined the urgent need for a holistic and comprehensive approach to the overall health of the system in order to protect students, research and local economies from any potential university collapse. Crucially, the government must also pay close attention to the knock-on effects that individual decisions to close and contract provision are having in other areas of the system, such as other regions and institutions.
“We welcome the recommendation from Fit for the Future for a joined-up approach between the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Department for Education (DfE), to allow for more open dialogue – particularly regarding issues like the financial sustainability of Higher Education. We note the call for the government to undertake policy work to revisit and clarify its position on market exit, as in our manifesto we had called for a major review of the sustainability of university finances, on which the DfE and DSIT would work together.
“We also welcome the Secretary of State’s support for international students, as outlined in her speech earlier this week. As we said in our Manifesto, the strength of our universities lies in their international character – both for teaching and research – and global collaboration is essential for the UK to maintain its thriving innovation environment.
“Although these developments are positive, they are only a first – although very necessary – step towards protecting and enhancing the health of the Higher Education teaching and research landscape, including the role of the humanities and social sciences within it, which are critical to addressing today’s complex challenges.”
The news came as the British Academy’s President, Professor Julia Black, was announced by Universities UK as part of a group of experts set to outline the role universities can play in powering the new government’s growth strategy, in a major new blueprint initiative, due to publish findings this autumn. Professor Black will lead a chapter on implications for regulation of the sector in England.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Read the Written Ministerial Statement by Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson.
Read the government’s press release ‘Government watchdog to help stabilise university finances’.
Read the British Academy’s Manifesto, which sets out three ways the new government can utilise the vast potential of the humanities and social sciences.
The British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. We mobilise these disciplines to understand the world and shape a brighter future. We invest in researchers and projects across the UK and overseas, engage the public with fresh thinking and debates, and bring together scholars, government, business and civil society to influence policy for the benefit of everyone.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk X: @BritishAcademy_
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