Going part-time: Understanding and reversing the decline in part-time higher education
Ryan Shorthouse and James Dobson
November 2015
Part-time Higher Education (HE) is associated with a number of benefits to both the individual and to society. However, since 2010–11, there has been a sharp decline in the number of undergraduate and postgraduate entrants from the UK and other EU countries undertaking a part-time HE qualification. This report identifies the possible causes of the decline and the barriers that individuals considering part-time HE face.
Original policy reforms are proposed which are designed to reduce the financial barriers individuals face when trying to access part-time HE. These policies are designed to be fiscally neutral, progressive and achieve a fairer funding settlement on HE between government, individuals and employers.
Click here to download the report as a .pdf
Magazines
Education: A solid start
James Brenton
July 2014
The fifth edition of The Progressive Conscience looks at education: what it's for, who it should serve, and how to get it right. Andreas Schleicher, the Director for Education and Skills at the OECD, gives us the global perspective on education and tells us what Britain needs to do to move up in the rankings. The Minister of State for Business, Enterprise and Energy, Matthew Hancock MP, tells us about the Conservative plan to improve apprenticeships, while Conor Ryan describes what remains to be done to open up our best schools to a wider range of students. Contributions from Charlotte Leslie MP, James O’Shaughnessy, and Nick Gibb MP, among others, round out a thoughtful collection of essays about how to improve the state of education.
