Abstract
This book comprises an in-depth and comprehensive account of the programme of changes to higher education (HE) institutions in England. It goes beyond the widely debated ‘headline fees’ (p. 4) to lay out the implications in the short, medium and long term of deeper policy and funding changes obscured from the public view, revealing a more troublesome outlook for higher education.
Immersing himself in the ‘technical side’ of higher education provision and undertaking secondary analysis of policy documents, McGettigan sets out to furnish his readers with an overview of the shifting educational landscape. What follows is a precise and systematic account of the measures set in motion by the Coalition government in October 2010 and their potential implications. It covers, in turn, issues of funding, marketization, privatization and financialization. Throughout the text McGettigan rehearses two key arguments: firstly, that the changes under way are inherently damaging to the integrity of the HE system; and secondly, that they are being implemented in a covert manner in order to curtail democratic debate.
The first part of the book is split into three chapters which outline various factors related to funding. It begins with a recent policy history detailing the partial and problematic adoption of Browne’s recommendations by the Coalition. In what follows, McGettigan details recent tuition fee reforms, focusing on the introduction of differential funding and the reduction in direct public funding in favour of private tuition fee income. This is followed by an in-depth account of the mechanics of the Income Contingent Repayment loan scheme, suggesting that while it has the potential to be more progressive than its predecessor, its long term viability is dubious.
Part II comprises a careful analysis of the application of market solutions to the higher education sector. It argues that while these reforms will benefit the most selective, elite institutions and certain cut-price providers, the majority of established universities will suffer as a result of government intervention aimed at opening up the market and creating a level playing field for new competitors. Chapter Four problematizes the notion of education as a consumer good and the associated benefits of free choice. Notably, it demonstrates the manner in which market mechanisms can result in decreases in diversity and quality of HE provision, limiting rather than enhancing consumer choice. Chapter Five highlights the polarizing tendencies inherent in student number controls, while Chapters Six and Seven outline the contours of a deregulated market in terms of commodification, deprofessionalization and the blurring of boundaries between public and private providers.
Part III explores the impact of the preceding factors on the corporate form and internal functioning of higher education institutions (HEIs). Chapter Eight discusses the enhanced focus on commercial imperatives within institutions, while Chapter Nine considers alterations to the legal form of HEIs that allow them to access private finance, via mergers, joint ventures, private buyouts and outsourcing. The impact of university bond issues is described in Chapter Ten, while broader issues of university governance are addressed in the final chapter of the section. Here, McGettigan’s main concern is the manner in which universities operate under increasing commercial pressure. He argues that casting universities as private companies and students as consumers shifts accountability away from the public domain, meaning that governors and their boards will struggle to satisfy both their charitable objectives and commercial imperatives.
Part IV takes a macroeconomic perspective to consider the medium and long term impact of these changes on public sector finances. This section on financialization is framed as an analysis of the implications of a growing student loan ‘book’ on future policy provision. Chapter Twelve skilfully outlines the parameters of the loan repayment system in terms of governmental spending in order to argue that future governments may face an unsustainable scheme. Possible policy options and challenges are considered in Chapter Thirteen.
Throughout the text McGettigan uses his considerable technical knowledge and grasp of policy undercurrents to build up his central argument that the current higher education agenda, driven by the ideology of the free market and covertly implemented under the guise of austerity measures, represents a huge gamble of public resources with potentially catastrophic results. At each point, governmental objectives are first clearly laid out and then scrutinized with the aid of empirical data where possible, both according to the government’s self-confessed economic objectives and against the broader concerns of reframing higher education as a private good.
McGettigan succeeds in covering a vast amount of ground, working systematically through various policy mechanisms and ‘creeping reform’ (p. 5) to build a convincingly vivid picture of the manner in which market logic is increasingly shaping different elements of higher education organization. By exposing flaws and contradictions in current policy frameworks and communicating the rapid pace of developments afoot, McGettigan seeks to raise awareness and a sense of urgency in his readers. By arming them with information, McGettigan aims to activate individuals to ‘avert the worst excesses’ (p. ix) of the predicament he describes.
This book makes a timely and valuable contribution to debates on the role of higher education in the 21st century and should be of great interest to those working across the HE sector and beyond. While it is clearly structured and well delivered, its wide scope and the necessary level of complexity required to underpin such an enquiry may limit its accessibility to young people considering their educational options. As such, it is best suited to academics, researchers, policy makers and any other professionals with a stake in the HE system.