Slide 1

European Students Union

The Modernisation Agenda and Commodification

BM60 Seminar

Tallinn, Estonia

4th May 2011

Magnus Malnes

Academic Affairs Committee

Two keys to European HE policies

The Bologna Process:

European Higher Education Area, meant to ensure more comparable, compatible and coherent system of higher education in Europe.

The Europe 2020-strategy:

A European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. It is designed to enhance the EUs growth potential and deliver high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion.

Europe 2020: The background context

Headline targets

By 2020, an average of at least 15 % of adults should participate in lifelong learning;

By 2020, the share of low-achieving 15-years olds in reading, mathematics and science should be less than 15 %.

By 2020, the share of 30-34 year olds with tertiary educational attainment should be at least 40 %.

By 2020, the share of early leavers from education and training should be less than 10 %.

By 2020, at least 95 % of children between 4 years old and the age for starting compulsory primary education should participate in early childhood education.

3% of the EU's GDP (public and private combined) to be invested in R&D/innovation

EU from 32% to 40%

India from 12.4% to 30%

China from 27% to 40%

USA retaking the world lead in college graduations rates by 2020

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40% attainment target

How to reach the target? What does it means?

Are National Reform Programmes effective?

Or is it a huge paper-tiger?

ESU supports increasing access and success in HE

Without compromising the academic rights and quality in HE

Demand strong emphasis on the Social Dimension

Include stakeholders in National Reform Programmes

Investments in higher education

Start now! (Minister, it takes time to do things now)

National Reform Programmes 2020

ESU questionnaire to member unions February-March 2011

Very few unions have been consulted about the National Reform Programme or the targets.

No unions thought the national targets were ambitious.

There are not many effective actions and political plans in the programmes, but unions support investing in increased attendance.

Broad skepticism on the effectiveness of reform programmes

A lot of same shit new wrapping

THE MODERNISATION AGENDA

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The Modernisation Agenda 2006

Curricular reform: The three cycle system, competence based learning, flexible learning paths, recognition, mobility.

Governance reform: University autonomy, strategic partnerships, including with enterprises, quality assurance.

Funding reform: Diversified sources of university income better linked to performance, promoting equity, access and efficiency, including the possible role of tuition fees, grants and loans.

The Modernisation Agenda effects

Curricular reform:

Mainly the Bologna-Process progress

Governance reform:

Quality assurance

New institution forms

Internal governance structures changing

Funding reform:

Countries rethink their tuition fee and student aid policy

Performance, formulae and contract based funding = competitive funding.

No clear link between matching autonomy, funding and accountability

More competitive research funding

How about performance of universities?

The Modernisation Agenda effects

From a student perspective:

Blurry implementation of Bologna-Process reforms

Autonomy of HEIs?

More involvement of externals in university governance. At the expense of students?

Weakened focus on public responsibility of financing and more pressure for diversification of funding.

Proliferation of tuition fees and cost-sharing

New national loan schemes

Heavy focus on excellence and rankings

The Modernisation Agenda 2011

Support the process of breaking down the barriers around universities in Europe (the implementation of Bologna process reforms, mobility, and academic recognition processes);

Support the creation of real autonomy and accountability for universities;

Encourage provision of incentives for structured partnerships with the business community;

Promote provision of the right skills and competencies for the labour market;

Encourage increased funding for higher education and make funding work harder in education and research;

Promote enhanced interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity;

EHEA more visible and attractive in the world, including an EU internationalisation strategy

What do we know so far

The Commission is looking at three key challenges:

Quantity and the growth in higher education attainment.

Quality and attractiveness of higher education, labour marked relevance, and excellence.

Financing higher education in times of budget constraints; doing more with less

What do we know so far

And proposing a policy agenda consisting of:

Increasing enrollment in higher education and reducing drop-out rates

Making higher education provision and curricula more relevant to labour marked needs

Fostering Student-Centred-Learning

Making programmes and provision more flexible

Improve the coherence between education, research and innovation

Strengthening doctoral programmes

What do we know so far

And proposing a policy agenda consisting of:

Rewarding excellent research and researchers

Widening access to under-represented groups

Promoting gender balance

Promoting social responsibility and active citizenship

Ensuring funding from diversified sources

Creating optimal governance of higher education institutions

What do we know so far

While the EU will:

Use of country specific recommendations, setting national targets and monitoring

Direct financial support through the new single programme on Education, Training and Youth

Concentrate EU funding on learning mobility (including offer top-EU students to spend time in EU's strategic partnership countries)

Attract top talent from around the world (through more focused marketing)

Set up a European student loan facility.

Implement the EU multidimensional university ranking tool

Exploring the potential for a "European University Statute", comparable to a EU company statute.

The European Commission is exploring a mobility loan scheme. Estimated size 65 bn Euro

Replacing the agenda!

Increasing access and success meeting the 40 % attainment benchmark, without compromising academic rights and quality. Increase ambitions for national targets.

Social Dimension and opening HE for underrepresented groups

Greater public investments. Minimum target of 2 % of GDP.

Insist on HE as a public responsibility. No new references to tuition fees.

Policies and reforms for a lifelong learning system

Student Centered Learning

Support the Bologna-Process targets

Fair and equal representation in governance

Underscore the 20 % mobility benchmark. Portability of loans and grants. No to European Mobility Loan Scheme. Balanced mobility.

Stakeholder inclusion on European and national level.

Our next steps

Continue campaign of Joint Action to influence the Modernisation Agenda

Disseminate the Joint Statement from Members + ESU

Monitoring debates on national level + publishing shadow reports

Lobbying European bodies

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What can my union do?

Join the Statement. Translate it (if needed) and refit it to your organisations letterhead.

Send it to your Ministry of Education, the Permanent Representation to the EU, and members of the European Parliament, (and send ESU a copy).

Challenge them to back up student demands when the negotiations comes.

Prepare a meeting with your Ministry (or put it on the agenda in a already scheduled meeting) and ask them to defend your interests on European level.

Send a press release or contact the media. Keeping politicians accountable is the key to make them care about it.

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Remember that any action you take equals:

100% PROGRESS!

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Dynamics of Europe 2020

Are the education part of the Europe 2020-strategy effective?

Principal view on the role of education!

European governance challenges; another Lisbon-Agenda failure?

National competence: Effective national implementation?

EU budgets and budget framework 2014-2020

Conflicts with the Bologna-Process and EHEA

Does the Commission have a policy on financing?

The European Commission in Efficient and Effective Education 2006;

Free access to higher education does not necessarily guarantee equity. To strengthen both efficiency and equity Member States should create appropriate conditions and incentives to generate higher investment from public and private sources, including, where appropriate, through tuition fees combined with accompanying financial measures for the disadvantaged

Does the Commission have a policy on financing?

Commission report on efficiency and effectiveness 2010;

In a number of Member States, tuition fees are perceived as curtailing access by people from disadvantaged background, even though these are separate policy issues. Possibilities to disconnect the issues of tuition fees and access to tertiary education ought to be explored.

Public responsibility?

EU 27 Ministers of Finance, 19th October 2010;

The case for an increase in private funding sources is considerably stronger in situations where limited public funding acts as an excessive constraint on the number of students or reduces spending per student to levels which risk jeopardising the quality of teaching and the acquisition of skills by students.

The balance between private and social returns to tertiary education could set the basis for public subsidisation of higher education.

A private contribution to the costs of tertiary education is generally justified by the high private returns that accrue to individuals. If increases in tertiary education funding come from higher student fees, it is critical that a well-functioning system of grants and/or loans is set up to ensure access for poorer students.

GATS?

Thank you!

magnus@esu-online.org

www.esu-online.org

Twitter: @ESUtwt