Higher education is increasingly regarded by the Governments as central to the achievement of its social and economic policies. At the same time, over the last decade or so market forces have been allowed to play an increasing role in determining the direction of higher education and more particularly the fortunes of individual institutions ; and with the increasing importance of student fees — now to be differentiated — in the funding of institutions, the importance of the market will increase further. The Government’s views about how universities should develop are increasingly focused, yet its influence over them is indirect at best.
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