Press Release: Ministers must focus more on universities
Responding to a new Universities UK report on Private universities and public funding, David Willetts MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said:
‘We welcome private providers’ interest in higher education. They can usefully supplement publicly-funded universities and are likely to play an increasing role under any government.
‘Internationally, private providers are extending choice, widening participation and responding to employers’ needs. But more private provision must not mean lower standards, and private providers are unlikely to conduct essential cutting-edge research. So any expansion must maintain the quality and variety of the whole HE sector.
‘The Government needs to think more systematically about how this sector develops and it needs to give existing universities the greatest possible freedom to compete.’