Jo Johnson, Minister for Universities and Science, talking to Cameron in 2013 when he was his new Head of Policy. Gareth Fuller / Press Association. All rights reserved.Unnoticed in the noise of the Brexit referendum debate is a Higher Education and Research bill that the House of Commons is getting ready to consider. The magnitude of the changes and their impact are on a scale not seen for a generation, perhaps two. And notwithstanding a minor miracle, they could be passed into law with minimal scrutiny.
So, what exactly is coming down the track?
If the bill becomes law then the big change coming is that the UK will get to experience what it is like to have a private higher education sector. Britain is a rare nation with a well-funded high quality public university system; and – with a handful of quality exceptions – next to no private universities. Colleges that wish to offer degrees need to have them validated by existing public universities.
