It’s always good to have the opportunity to meet those involved in the work of the Culture and Education Committee. I was therefore pleased to be invited by Universities UK to their breakfast meeting at Labour Party Conference along with Higher Education Minister David Lammy. Also in attendance yesterday was Gordon Marsden MP, a member of the Education Select Committee and an old colleague from university.
Education remains the Labour priority. The Labour Government has made huge strides in expanding access to university, while at the same time maintaining standards. The UK has four universities in the worldwide top ten, which I think says it all, especially since European countries such as France and Germany,whose education systems are considered to be among the best, have none at all.
It was good to discuss the Erasmus programme and the Bologna Process with Universities UK. I am particularly pleased that they have a European department and take European issues very seriously. I also look foward to meeting representatives from their European operation in Brussels in the near future.
My thanks in particular to Universities UK new Chief Executive, Nicola Dandridge, who I intend to keep in touch with, especially on lifelong learning and other education issues as they come to me as Socialist and Democrat Co-ordinator on the Culture and Education Committee.
