Toby Young to help lead government's new universities regulator [View all]

[LeftishBrit]

The former journalist and free school advocate Toby Young is among a group of business executives who are to help head the government’s drive to apply market forces to higher education in England, as new laws come into force that will regulate universities in the same way as water or gas utilities, according to ministers.

Jo Johnson, the minister for higher education, hailed the new Office for Students (OfS) – which comes into legal existence on Monday – as the answer to concerns over students receiving value for money for their degrees while taking on increasing debt, and opening the sector up to increased competition....

The change is the biggest overhaul in how universities have been regulated in 100 years, and will see Young – an enthusiastic supporter of the government’s education reforms – join the OfS’s board, alongside a former executive of HSBC bank and a managing director of Boots....

“If this organisation was to have any credibility it needed a robust board looking out for students’ interests. Instead we have this announcement sneaked out at new year with Tory cheerleader Toby Young dressed up as the voice of teachers and no actual representation from staff or students,” said Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union.



https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/jan/01/toby-young-universities-regulator-office-for-students