We know it’s lazy to include a Prime Minister here – even a premier like May who is fighting for her position hour-by-hour, day-by-day, week-by-week. But Theresa May clings on both to No.10 Downing Street and the number 10 slot on this year’s Power List. We’ll set aside Brexit. And we’ve reported extensively this month on the Migration Advisory Committee backing her policy, in effect, to limit the growth of overseas students. But the issue which has dominated wonks’ agendas for months has been the post-18 review – a political exercise, driven fairly and squarely by May and No.10.
It was floated in the Tory manifesto last June but the first time it properly surfaced was a three point plan on the eve of its annual party conference last September: freezing maximum tuition fees at £9,250; raising the graduate repayment income threshold to £25,000; and above all, a root and branch review of the funding system.
The truth is May has never been an instinctive supporter of universities nor particularly interested in the intricate detail. But when politicians are on the ropes, they need to create room and breathing space to survive. It led to a odd position where she questions the value of degrees and acts as a guerilla activist against her own established policy. It signaled, however, she ‘got’ why she lost her Commons majority. It enables her to compete better Labour’s pledge to abolish fees and restore grants. And it bulks out out her offer to ‘just about managing’ families, if she survives after the UK leaves the EU.
The announcement was followed by months of wrangling within Whitehall, where the former Education Secretary Justine Greening and (more vocally) the former universities minister Jo Johnson fought to water down No.10’s plans and keep it as an internal assessment in DfE.
It culminated in May having to accept the former’s resignation (after a lengthy disagreement and the offer of several alternative jobs) and shift Johnson to another department – which freed her up to launch the review personally in February.
Will May be in No.10 when the expert panel reports? We don’t know. Will she be there to lead the government response and set out future reforms? We’ve got no idea.
Either-way, she or her successors face the same challenges: making tertiary education financially secure and sustainable; coordinating and integrating sub-degree and degree level education across FE and HE; and transforming the market for flexible and adult learning