In Italy, things are going from bad to worse. This Government has cut funding in every public branch. Schools, Universities and public institutions of research have been the first victims. We had, all in all, a cut of about 10 billions euros in 3 years, which means a [...]]]> A report from Marco Broccati, FLC CGIL (Italy)

In Italy, things are going from bad to worse. This Government has cut funding in every public branch. Schools, Universities and public institutions of research have been the first victims. We had, all in all, a cut of about 10 billions euros in 3 years, which means a cut of 150,000 teachers and researchers in the same period. At this time, school teachers are striking in front of the Parliament without eating and drinking. But the Minister of Education Gelmini refuses to meet them, pretending that this is a “political protest” set up by the opposition Parties. Our public school system is disrupted: we cannot guarantee services to families. So is the University system: by the end of the year, most Universities will not be able to pay the wages of teachers and technical-administrative staff. As for research institutions, all funding for research projects has been cut. The so-called “reforms” of school and university have only the aim to cut and reduce the role and presence of the public sector, giving way to private schools and universities. It should be remarked that while the funding of public institutions has been reduced, private institutions have grown their funding. This year we’ll have to deal with about 40,000 school teachers losing their job. Can you call this the “knowledge society”? It really looks like a project to create an “ignorant society” This is what our Government is planning for our future. But they won’t succeed. Knowledge workers and FLC will make a stand.

Marco Broccati. FLC CGIL.

“Some 62% of Post revenues last year [...]]]> An interesting report in the Observer newspaper on 22 August picked up that Kaplan’s parent company, the Washington Post, saw its share price fall to the lowest point this year as the row about defaults on student loans among private sector students in the USA continues. Peter Preston’s report noted:

“Some 62% of Post revenues last year come from the Kaplan private education empire it owns: 600 institutions in 30 countries, 1 million students, 31,000 staff. It’s a profitable empire over two dozen major sites in the UK alone. Think Liverpool, Leicester and Bradford, as well as Holborn College.

But in the US, its former students seem a bit slow at repaying their loans – repayment rates are 28% as opposed to 54% of alumni at public colleges – and federal financial aid is in jeopardy. So the share price plummets.”

Read the full story here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/22/washington-post-studen-loan-trouble

As the Times Higher reported [...]]]> UCU warned the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government that encouraging the growth of private universities would damage the UK’s international reputation and invite serious questions about standards. BPP, the subsidiary of Apollo which has degree awarding powers, has been lobbying the government heavily to relax the regulations on who can call themselves a university.

As the Times Higher reported on 24 June, the government has faced ”intense lobbying by BPP, and other private providers, to bring in changes that would help them compete on a “level playing field” with publicly funded institutions. Suggestions include allowing the private sector better access to the student loans system, making it easier for them to call themselves universities, and wider distribution of degree-awarding powers.”

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=412183&c=1

BPP has secured the government’s agreement that it will be allowed to call itself a ‘university college’ – an ambiguous title that does not require it to fulfil the current requirements of ‘university title’.

The union ran a poll of 500 professors which showed that an overwhelming majority (96%) did not believe it should be easier for private companies to call themselves universities.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: “Encouraging the growth of private providers and making it easier for them to call themselves universities would be a disaster for the UK’s academic reputation. It would also represent a huge threat to academic freedom and standards.”

In September UCU produced a report outlining its concerns over the expansion of private providers in UK higher education. A copy of Privatising our Universities can be found at http://tinyurl.com/2uad6g5

Further reading:

http://tinyurl.com/34qa6lc – press release

http://tinyurl.com/27ujcqz – Telegraph

This comes at the same time as news that 200,000 young people will miss out on a university place this year as a result of cuts [...]]]> 22,000 staff risk losing their jobs if the government presses ahead with plans to cut 25% more from already slashed HE budgets, according to UCU research published in July: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4736&from=4725&start=11

This comes at the same time as news that 200,000 young people will miss out on a university place this year as a result of cuts already made and that the government is encouraging young people to ‘aim lower’ in the future: http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4988&from=4775

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt has warned the government that “Other countries are increasing the number of graduates to compete in a high-skill knowledge economy, yet our government seems intent on doing the opposite. It is not scaremongering to talk about a lost generation of learners.”

http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4749&from=4725

It is also this context of public austerity that is accelerating the drive toward using the private sector: http://educationsolidaritynetwork.org/2010/08/uk-academics-slam-privatisation-of-universities-as-bpp-becomes-university-college/

In January 2010, Australia-based Navitas sealed its first U.S. deal, a 10-year contract with Western Kentucky University.  Since then,  the company has signed three more  agreements – with the Universities of Massachusetts [...]]]> Inside Higher Ed reports that U.S. colleges are increasingly turning to for-profit pathway programs for international students in a bid to boost revenues.

In January 2010, Australia-based Navitas sealed its first U.S. deal, a 10-year contract with Western Kentucky University.  Since then,  the company has signed three more  agreements – with the Universities of Massachusetts at Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell.

Students entering the Navitas program at Western Kentucky will need deep pockets.  According to the fee schedule, the costs are over $22,000 for three semesters, plus a mandatory $1,000 medical insurance charge. The pre-master’s program is nearly $10,000 and runs just one semester.

With the U.S. recession clobbering college finances, other for-profit pathway providers are swooping down upon campuses across the country with promises of bountiful new revenue streams from full fee-paying international students. Study Group International, recently purchased by a U.S. private equity firm, is setting up programs at Dean and Fisher Colleges, and Madison University. Meanwhile, Kaplan International which already runs a “Global Pathways Program” at Northeastern University opened its second program earlier this year at the University of Utah.  And UK-based INTO has signed long-term contracts with Oregon State University and the University of South Florida.

INTO’s joint ventures with Oregon State and South Florida generated headlines earlier this year when the Commission on English Language Accreditation initially revoked the accreditation of the two universities’ English language institutes after they were taken over by INTO.

Ironically, the rising number of private pathways programs comes at a time when the U.S. Congress is looking at new rules to reign in the more questionable practices of many for-profit colleges. Surely it’s time to shine a similar light on Navitas, Study Group, Kaplan and INTO?