England鈥檚 universities minister has said that it 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 matter about looking at which groups don鈥檛 get to university鈥� because the emphasis should be on outcomes and what is in the 鈥渂est interests鈥� of individual students, while stressing that 鈥渨e don鈥檛 necessarily want everybody to go to university鈥�.
Michelle Donelan also told MPs on the Education Select Committee that the government would be bringing forward details on a 鈥渞estructuring regime鈥� for universities as a 鈥渓ast resort鈥� for those in financial trouble following the pandemic crisis, and that ministers are 鈥渘ot excluding legislation鈥� on free speech in universities.
Ms Donelan鈥檚 comments on university access are likely to alarm many in the sector, who fear that the government鈥檚 apparent desire to channel some students away from higher education into further education is likely to accentuate social divides.
The Office for Students, the English sector regulator established by the Conservative government in 2018, has set a target to eliminate the gap in entry rates at between the most and least represented groups at the most selective universities by 2038-39.
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In her appearance before the committee, Ms Donelan returned to the theme of her speech criticising recent expansion of higher education and that of a recent speech by education secretary Gavin Williamson, in which he billed himself as 鈥渢earing up鈥� Tony Blair鈥檚 1999 target for 50 per cent of young people to enter higher education and instead prioritising a 鈥淕erman-style鈥� further education system.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 necessarily want everybody to go to university; that was very much the essence of the secretary of state鈥檚 speech last week,鈥� Ms Donelan told MPs.
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"Whether you鈥檙e advantaged or disadvantaged, HE is not necessarily the best route to get where you want to go in life. I want to see a system that promotes the individual鈥檚 needs, and the individual鈥檚 desires in terms of their progression,鈥� she added.
She set out an aim to 鈥渕ove away from this focus on how many students go to university鈥� and focus on students 鈥渃ompleting high-quality, academically rigorous courses that then lead to graduate jobs 鈥� that is the important measure we should be looking at鈥�.
Caroline Johnson, a Conservative member of the committee, asked Ms Donelan 鈥渨hich groups are least likely to go to university鈥� and 鈥渨hat is being done to support them鈥� in 鈥渃onsidering鈥� higher education 鈥渁s an option鈥here they have the capability to do so鈥�.
The universities minister replied that 鈥渨e do have record numbers of disadvantaged students going to university. There are still challenges within different sections of society, including white working-class students.
鈥淏ut I actually don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 a good measure to look at anyway. It鈥檚 the wrong question, if you don鈥檛 mind me saying. Because it doesn鈥檛 matter about looking at which groups don鈥檛 get to university. It鈥檚 about making sure that those groups that do go complete, that [courses] lead to graduate jobs, but also looking at what鈥檚 in that student鈥檚 best interests.鈥�
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The focus should not be on 鈥渢argets鈥�, but on 鈥渢he individual and unlocking social mobility, but true social mobility, not box-ticking and target-driven social mobility that makes us feel good, but social mobility that really leads to life chances being improved for these individuals鈥�, continued Ms Donelan.
On access targets set by the OfS 鈥渇or the next five years鈥�, she said that she wanted to see universities emphasise outreach and 鈥渢rying to lift the quality bar in schools, rather than simply trying to tick quotas; that鈥檚 not social mobility鈥�.
The focus should be on providing role models, on students completing and getting graduate jobs, 鈥渕uch more about the journey than how many they [universities] get in in one year鈥�.
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On university finances, Tory MP and committee chair Robert Halfon asked the minister whether the government would 鈥渂ail out鈥� universities in trouble because of the crisis or introduce 鈥渕anaged restructuring鈥� focused on 鈥渞ebalancing鈥� institutions towards the 鈥渟kills needs鈥� in the economy.
Ms Donelan said that the government would be coming forward with details of a 鈥渞estructuring regime鈥�, to be used in a 鈥渓ast resort scenario鈥�.
鈥淭here will be conditions attached,鈥� she added.
Asked about 鈥渃hallenges and opportunities鈥� in the sector, Ms Donelan said聽that these had been 鈥渃hanged and shaped by Covid鈥�, and included a need for universities to innovate and 鈥渄iversify鈥� their income, to focus on people鈥檚 needs to 鈥渞eskill and upskill鈥�. She aimed to be 鈥渋ncentivising鈥� part-time study and degree apprenticeships, she added.
The minister also said that incentivising universities to provide degree apprenticeships will form 鈥減art of our response鈥� to the Augar review of post-18 education 鈥渓ater in the year鈥�.
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On pay, Ms Donelan referred to vice-chancellors and senior university staff volunteering for pay cuts of 鈥�10 to 30 per cent鈥� in the crisis. She added: 鈥淚 want to see that, hopefully, continue and be the start of something.鈥�
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