British Higher Education under Pressure: Politics, Budgets and Demography and the Acceleration of Ideas for Change

Abstract

To the British higher education community the period since 1979 has seemed to be characterised by severe external pressure, generated by a loss of political support, reduced budgets and the threat of a demographic-led decline in student numbers. These pressures have appeared to dominate public discussion of higher education, but underneath the smoke of battle new ideas and structures are emerging. Whether these are the best ideas or the most effective new structures it is too early to say but it is difficult to deny that these pressures have accelerated the long dormant processes of change in British higher education. One does not have to be a supporter of present government policies towards higher education and only the very smallest minority of the higher education community will admit to that to concede that the various external pressures have opened up higher education to new initiatives in an unexpected way.