Mark Leach

Review of Wonkhe year 2

by Mark Leach February 4, 2013

This time last year on Wonkhe’s first birthday, we had a brief look back at the first year in operation. Another year has passed and so as we celebrate our 2nd birthday, it feels like the right time to have another review of the year gone by. This post will give a list of the top 10 locations for reading the site, as well as the most popular content. And as usual, we will have a little look towards the future. Thanks for reading.

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Only wonks need apply

by Mark Leach January 7, 2013

We are committed to keeping wonkhe innovative, interesting and exciting and after 2 years in operation, the editors need your help.

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Bursting bubbles in higher education

by Mark Leach September 11, 2012

In higher education, policy bubbles are commonplace. They float around the sector drawing disproportionate levels of interest and as they grow, they become less rooted in evidence, research or coherent thought. It is important to understand these bubbles if we are to improve policy-making in higher education, a project that has never been more important.

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Comprehensive spending

by Mark Leach July 16, 2012

As Oxford announces a £75 million donation to help its poorest students, Mark Leach tries to put the money in context and dreams about what else could be achieved with a chunk of change that size in higher education. Also, the news that the 2013 Comprehensive Spending Review may be delayed until late 2014 tells us some interesting things about the state of the Coaltion.

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Understanding higher education in further education

by Mark Leach July 11, 2012

There are few things that excite wonks more than excellent and well-timed policy research. Last week, BIS published its report Understanding Higher Education in Further Education Colleges, written by a dream team of policy researchers – Gareth Parry from Sheffield and Claire Callender, Peter Scott and Paul Temple from IoE. HE in FE is one of the least-understood parts of UK tertiary education, and despite pockets of work in other quarters; no one else has attempted such an exhaustive study of this issue. Although it will surely have its critics, this new report is without a doubt the seminal work about HE in FE right now and absolutely essential reading no matter which side of the HE/FE divide you fall.

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The rise and rise of Michael Gove

by Mark Leach June 25, 2012

Last week’s furore over Michael Gove’s ‘leaked’ plans to abolish GSCEs and bring back the O Level was an interesting moment for the education policy community who largely thought they had plumbed the depths of their disdain for the Education Secretary. But higher education should be worried, because Gove has only increased his political capital over the last week and could be preparing to bring his policy horror show to a university near you.

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The path of least resistance

by Mark Leach June 12, 2012

Yesterday the Government published its long awaited response to the HE White Paper and technical consultations. Smashing straight through the three-month deadline that Departments have to publish these, there were many who thought the long wait indicated that they were cooking up something big. It’s the classic policy wonk trap – you see big schemes, plots and grand strategies wherever you look because that’s how you think. But in politics – particularly in the Coalition, the truth is always much simpler. The Government’s response this week did a pretty good job of kicking issues into the long-grass and not committing to much at all. But it’s hardly a surprise when you consider the state of the White Paper itself when it was published last June – an equally thin document – and the political difficulties that HE has caused the Coalition to date.

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Wonks away plus site update

by Mark Leach May 14, 2012

I am going on holiday. Nothing remarkable about that, except it’s my first true substantial holiday away from everything related to my hobbies (higher education policy), side projects (higher education policy) and day job (higher education policy) in a very long time. As a result, there will be no new posts on the site until June when I return and the wonkery can recommence.

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Are we heading for a breakdown?

by Mark Leach March 12, 2012

The Coalition Government is in terminal decline. Its sense of purpose has dissipated and internal politics threaten to derail the whole enterprise. The higher education policy circus that came to town in 2010 reflects more than ever the tensions within the Coalition and the bizarre, inconsistent and occasionally bad policy-making that stems from this faltering political arrangement. The Coalition’s expiry date is May 2015, and despite the entire Government machine fixing its sights on that date, things may fall apart before then.

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Review of the Wonkhe year

by Mark Leach January 31, 2012

I decided at the launch of Wonkhe not to do a lot of meta blogging about blogging – it isn’t interesting for most people. But I feel we have a good story to tell, a bright future and as Wonkhe turns one year old today, it seems like a good moment for reflection.

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HE Bill to be dropped?

by Mark Leach January 24, 2012

Last night, The Telegraph reported that the expected Higher Education Bill is being dropped, or at least delayed until later in the Parliament. This news must be greeted with caution and scepticism until we know the facts. It is clear that the Government has made no final decision, but the fact that this could be the direction of travel is very revealing. In lieu of further information, we can however assess what we know and what it might mean.

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Who let them in?

by Mark Leach January 19, 2012

Today I am pleased to have a feature in the Times Higher Education which is a look at my funny old profession; higher education policy. There was only so much space that I had, and there’s a lot more I have to say about many of the themes touched on in the piece. I shall [...]

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