The IFS is wrong about the value of degrees

6 March 2020
Education

The IFS is wrong about the value of degrees

Prof Len Shackleton writes for 1828

The IFS report is an interesting and useful piece of analysis, but its findings are not a simple guide to policy, says the IEA's editorial and research fellow Prof Len Shackleton. Writing for 1828, Len argues that "closing courses by central diktat" would almost certainly disproportionately penalise potential students from poorer backgrounds. He adds that ... Continue reading
6 March 2020
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The education voucher: a proposal for excellence

Álvaro Martín
5 March 2020
Education

The education voucher: a proposal for excellence

The idea behind education vouchers has solid academic and research backing. It arguably began in the 1950s with Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman. He proposed various models for public-private partnerships to guarantee that basic services were provided more efficiently and with greater freedom of choice. That’s where education vouchers came in. Friedman believed that all families, ... Continue reading
Álvaro Martín
5 March 2020
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Universities, rather than government, should lend to their students

16 October 2019
Education

Universities, rather than government, should lend to their students

One of the author's of the winning entry for the 2019 Richard Koch Breakthrough Prize has summarised their essay for Conservative Home. Peter Ainsworth, wrote co-wrote the winning entry with Dr Tom McKenzie, writes that "by re-arranging the flows of money into higher education so that universities, rather than the government, lend to their students, ... Continue reading
16 October 2019
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A policy to truly boost opportunity – and save taxpayers’ money

15 October 2019
Education

A policy to truly boost opportunity – and save taxpayers’ money

Richard Koch Breakthrough Prize winning essay features on CapX

The winning entry for the 2019 Richard Koch Breakthrough Prize has been summarised by IEA Academic and Research Director Syed Kamall and featured on the CapX website. Under the proposed new policy, put forward by Peter Ainsworth and Dr Tom McKenzie, would see universities lending to students rather than the government, with both students and ... Continue reading
15 October 2019
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£50,000 IEA Breakthrough Prize awarded to entry calling for individual “nest egg” funds for lifetime learning

10 October 2019
Education

£50,000 IEA Breakthrough Prize awarded to entry calling for individual “nest egg” funds for lifetime learning

Peter Ainsworth, Managing Director of Consulting AM Ltd, and Dr Tom McKenzie , an academic economist specialising in Behavioural Economics and Public Finance, will tonight be announced as the winners of the £50,000 Breakthrough Prize. The prize – run by the Institute of Economic Affairs and supported by entrepreneur Richard Koch – sought to find the best and boldest ... Continue reading
10 October 2019
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Learn lessons from private schools, don’t ban them

23 September 2019
Education

Learn lessons from private schools, don’t ban them

Christopher Snowdon writes for The Spectator

Independent schools "show that a better way is possible" and it would be "perverse" to ban the schools which deliver the best results, writes Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs. Writing in The Spectator, Christopher argues there is no mechanism by which  "abolishing some of the best schools in ... Continue reading
23 September 2019
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Opposition plans “a threat to the freedom to educate children as parents wish”

13 September 2019
Education

Opposition plans “a threat to the freedom to educate children as parents wish”

Professor Len Shackleton quoted in The Telegraph

Professor Len Shackleton, IEA Editorial and Research Fellow, has criticised plans by the Labour Party to remove the business rates exemption for private schools, forcing parents to pay more for their child's education. Quoted in The Telegraph, Len labels the plans "a threat to the freedom to educate children as parents wish” and warns other ... Continue reading
13 September 2019
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IEA: Opposition’s school reform proposals are a “threat to freedom”

13 September 2019
Education

IEA: Opposition’s school reform proposals are a “threat to freedom”

Professor Len Shackleton comments on Labour plans

Commenting on Labour's consideration to scrap discounted business rates for independent schools and impose VAT on fees, IEA Editorial Fellow Professor Len Shackleton said: "This proposal is unlikely to raise the sums suggested, as some independent schools will close while others may relocate abroad - a plausible scenario given the rising proportion of overseas students ... Continue reading
13 September 2019
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Having a single exam board would make no difference to A-level results

16 August 2019
Education

Having a single exam board would make no difference to A-level results

Len Shackleton writes in The Daily Telegraph

Len Shackleton, Editorial and Research Fellow at The Institute of Economic Affairs, has written for The Telegraph. The piece outlines "complaints about A-levels. The latest suggestion is that there should be a single national awarding body for schools examinations." "Many of the problems faced are either intrinsic to the services involved, or the result of ham-fisted ... Continue reading
16 August 2019
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Expanding choice and competition in schooling is the best way to raise standards

15 July 2019
Education

Expanding choice and competition in schooling is the best way to raise standards

Mark Littlewood writes for The Times

"Expanding choice and competition in schooling is the best way to raise standards and improve the prospects of the next generation", writes Mark Littlewood in The Times. Mark writes his fortnightly column on the importance of choice in raising standards in education. Recent IEA publication 'School Choice Around the World' features a collection of essays ... Continue reading
15 July 2019
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