A Study On Market-oriented Policy Of British Higher Education During The Reign Of New Conservative Party

Education policy is a significant way that government design, instruct, coordinate and regulate education. It is generated in a certain social and educational background, playing an instruction role in education reform. In order to solve the developmental contradictions and problems of higher education after the war, Britain's new conservative party government conducted a bold reform, which had a profound impact on the later development of higher education. This article chooses market-oriented policy of higher education as the main research object, and conducts intensive study on the respects of formation background, theoretical basis, main content and effectiveness.First of all, the thesis analyzed the social background that the market-oriented policy of higher education was generated and illustrated the influence that British political and economic environment in the1970s, popularization of higher education had on the policy-making. Then the theoretical basis was explored, such as theory of new liberalism, theory of new public management and market-like theory, which had instructive significance to the policy. Subsequently, the thesis mainly analyzed the specific content of market-oriented policy by studying the laws, regulations, reports and white papers related to higher education. The research involved the reform of higher education funding, financing and the partnership established between universities and industry. At last, the thesis discussed achievements and shortcomings that market-oriented policy of higher education brought. The policy alleviated the contradiction between the development of higher education and funding crunch during the reign of the new Conservative Party, promoted the development of mass higher education, and strengthened the functions serving economy and society. However, utilitarianism that market-oriented policy implied in easily lead to imbalance between institutions of higher education.The market-oriented policy of British higher education presents its characteristics in the process of implementation. They emphasize educational assessment and legislation, pay attention to both educational benefits and economic benefits, readjusted the relationship between government and universities, which are the basis of developing mass higher education and realistic needs achieving sustainable development.