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What is the value of higher education in Wales?

What value does the Assembly place on higher education?

A report from HEFCW higher education funding body has found that higher education in England received almost £70 million more public funding in the academic year 2005-06 than Wales and over £40 million more in 2004-05.

In response, Jane Hutt, the Welsh Education Minister said: "The Welsh Assembly Government funding is not the only source of funding for higher education institutions. They have the ability to draw monies from other sources".

In the meantime, the Guardian league table on universities shows that only Cardiff is in the top twenty five universities in the UK. Four HE bodies are in the bottom twenty.

22 Cardiff
57 Bangor
63 Swansea
64 Glamorgan
67 Aberystwyth
76 UWIC
97 Lampeter
106 Newport
112 Swansea Institute
115 Trinity College, Carmarthen
118 North East Wales Institute

Given Ms Hutt's reluctance to fight for more funding for the sector, does anyone seriously think this situation will change in the near future?

Do we need a new policy for higher education in Wales that values the role of universities in raising skill levels and strengthening the knowledge-based economy?

Comments

Anonymous said…
new education policy or new government in the Assembly for this and much else that's wrong with Wales?
May 10, 2008 4:17 pm
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