Education, Education, Education- another of Blair's legacies....

I'm a bit sceptical about Blair's new policy proposal for funding Universities. Basically, for every £2 that Universities raise from donors, the Government will offer £1 match funding- to a max of £2 million. It's hoped that this scheme will generate a total of £600m for Universities and Colleges. The Observer's headline today bragged of a 'Billion pound boost for British Universities', but as one blogger commented on the website, it will take years for Universities to raise a billion under such a scheme!

The reason why I am cautious is that it will be targeted towards the top 75 Institutions- the Russell Group elite Universities that are keen to emulate the practices of Ivy League Institutions in the USA. It will be reliant upon alumni, philanthropists and businesses to embrace this 'culture of giving'- to donate regularly and generously despite there being no obligation for such businesses to do so. Under the Government proposition, Institutions must sharpen their fundraising techniques, and newer Universities are advised to establish 'fundraising centres', although I am not quite sure what this entails, and what initial investment is needed to make the centres a reality.

There is an argument to say that if a culture of charity is to be promoted, then those who donate extensively will be given undue say as to where the money goes within Institutions. Guidelines must be put in place from the outset if this scheme has the go ahead. Resources must be ring fenced, and decisions prioritised by democratically elected University committees.

In my eyes, this policy announcement is much more about Blair trying to divert public opinion from the International mess which is Iraq, ( amongst many!) to one of the most pressing domestic issues of the day- education. While Blair and New Labour are seeking to promote equal opportunity in education through schemes such as Widening Access and Lifelong Learning, this contrasts with the reality on the ground of increasing fees for students, and Universities struggling to make ends meet.

Of course, public funds for Universities will remain under this new initiative, but the fact of the matter is that the Government could prioritise an enhancement of educational state funding if they so wished. Higher taxation for higher earners would be a start. This new policy would undoubtedly create more competition between Universities, and a further move towards private investment.

Another Observer blogger found a loop hole in the plan - he is keen to donate as a graduate, but personal debt will stop him from doing so. It's ironic, therefore, that the very people New Labour are targeting as potential investors cannot afford it due to the negative impact of their own past policies.

Will this prove to be a positive Blair legacy, I wonder?