British universities are a great success story. Over the last 30 years some of the finest brains in the world have pushed the boundaries of knowledge, science and understanding. At the same time a university place has ceased to be the preserve of a tiny elite but been extended to hundreds of thousands more students each year. In the early 1960s only 6 per cent of under-21s went to university, whereas today around 43 per cent of 18-30 year olds in England enter higher education.

So it would be possible to opt for a quiet life. To coast along, bask in previous successes, shirk the need for reform. Though such an approach would be possible, I do believe that it would be wrong.

It would be wrong because the world is already changing faster than it has ever done before, and the pace of change will continue to accelerate.

Our national ability to master that process of change and not be ground down by it depends critically upon our universities. Our future success depends upon mobilising even more effectively the imagination, creativity, skills and talents of all our people. And it depends on using that knowledge and understanding to build economic strength and social harmony.

So that immediately identifies two areas where our universities have to improve.

First, the expansion of higher education has not yet extended to the talented and best from all backgrounds. In Britain today too many of those born into less advantaged families still see a university place as being beyond their reach, whatever their ability.

Second, we have to make better progress in harnessing knowledge to wealth creation. And that depends on giving universities the freedoms and resources to compete on the world stage. To back our world class researchers with financial stability. To help turn ideas into successful businesses. To undo the years of under-investment that will result in our universities slipping back.

But there is also a third challenge. To make the system for supporting students fairer. Having a university education brings big benefits and while the Government will continue to pay most of the cost involved in studying for a degree, it is also reasonable to ask students to contribute to this. But we need to make sure that no student is put off from going into higher education because they cannot afford the cost of studying while they are at university. And those who come from the poorest backgrounds should get extra support.

This White Paper declares our intention to take the tough decisions on higher education, to deal with student finance for the long term, to open up access to our universities, and to allow them to compete with the best. We seek a partnership between students, government, business and the universities to renew and expand our higher education system for the next generation.

I hope that the proposals which I set out here will help strengthen that partnership.

That is the foundation for our future national success.

Charles Clarke

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