Higher education: Planning and cost containment

Abstract

In May 1970 I argued in this journal that cost effectiveness should dominate the planning of higher education in the seventies, and in November 1971 outlined steps for its rationalisation. The DES Statistics of Education Volume 5, Finance and Awards for 1970, puts in focus the stark situation of education costs for England and Wales. The total cost was £1,980 millions, an increase of £217 millions over the previous year. The 1971 Blue Book (CMND 4829) shows an overall educational expenditure of £2,953 millions for 1970–71 and highlights the share which higher education received. Over the ten year period 1960–1970 the largest increases were on tuition costs of teacher training, university grants and further education, in that order. In 1969–70 further and adult education received £246.3 millions, teacher training £53.8 millions and the universities £225.6 millions. The size of this sector of education has been projected in the DES Planning Paper No 2 which suggested that twice as many boys and girls will secure two or more ‘A’ levels in 1981 compared with 1968. The number in full‐time higher education in 1969–70 (Universities, Colleges of Education and Further Education) was estimated at 443 000 and projections suggested this will rise to 847 000 in 1981–82. Total costs of full‐time higher education at 1966–67 prices were estimated to rise to £957 millions. It is in the cold light of these essential statistics that developments in planning higher education for the next five years and how cost effectiveness can be implemented are now considered.

Citation

GORE, T. (1972), "Higher education: Planning and cost containment", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 4 No. 12, pp. 602-604. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb003275