David Willetts

In a major speech today to the Universities UK Annual Members’ Conference in Cambridge, David Willetts MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, will say:

Widening participation

‘The challenges facing the university sector are steeper than ever. Ministers said half of all young people would go to university by 2010, but the participation rate has risen by just 0.6% to 39.8% since 1999/00. The proportion of young men becoming students has actually fallen from 37.1% to 34.8%. And other countries are racing ahead while we are standing still: new OECD figures show we have fallen from 4th to 12th in the league for young people attending university since 2000.

‘We believe in expansion and want more people to benefit from university. But this is not a simple task. We need a credible plan for expansion which identifies the money to back it up.’

Funding review

‘It would be wise and in the interests of universities as a whole for the Government to consult us on the promised fees review. This would follow the precedent set by Gillian Shephard who consulted David Blunkett, then her Shadow, before setting up the Dearing Review.

‘We are not committed to raising the tuition fees cap but, if we did, a series of other reforms might prove necessary. For example, no Government would agree an increase in fees without clear evidence that the student experience would improve. Any increase would also need to come with a package to broaden participation. And we need to consider the impact on the public finances - a simple rise in the cap would lead to more public expenditure on loans.’

Calls for more university specific information to be available

‘For more people to benefit from a university education, there also needs to be much better information available. Going to university is not just a financial decision but people approaching university are entitled to much better information about the employment prospects and financial returns of different courses. I urge universities to do more to make this information public.’

Calls for a fair deal for mature and part-time learners

‘It is likely that future expansion will come from older and part-time students. High on the agenda for the finance review must therefore be a fairer deal for them. We want to hear affordable ways to tackle this problem.’

Urges British universities to get on to iTunes U

‘Another area of potential improvement is distance learning. Older people often cannot take three-year, full-time degrees. And nor should they be expected to. We need to make life easier for them. Ivy League universities are routinely making their resources available on iTunes U and we are currently being left behind in the race for better distance learning. So we need to make big improvements here.’

Praises the sector

‘Our university sector is full of wonderful and varied institutions that add enormously to our civic life. Over the past few decades, you have been transformed out of all recognition. So the centre must trust you to get on with what you do best. We want you to flourish and expand because you are the key to dealing with all the problems that the C21st is likely to throw at us. But, together, we face some big challenges.’