England's university sector could continue to become even larger and more well funded than that of Wales or Northern Ireland, according to a new report.
Devolution could result in the emergence of more divergent higher education policies and also lead to the English university sector becoming even larger and better funded than in Northern Ireland or Wales, a report has suggested.
Published in recent days by Universities UK, the paper suggests that since devolution there has been a rising propensity for students to choose higher education courses in their "home country", rather than in other parts of the UK.
It also states that the existence of varying fee regimes since devolution took place has resulted in complexity for students from one part of the UK who attend an academic institution in another.
Higher education is growing across the UK, the report found, although it is noted that England has begun to move ahead in a number of areas, including international student income, student numbers and research funding.
In general, Northern Ireland and Wales performed better than England at securing greater participation by lower socioeconomic groups prior to devolution - and still do.
Professor Rick Trainor, president of Universities UK, which has 133 members, states: "Devolution has had an impact on public policy in almost every sector - and higher education is no exception."
Alan Trench, the author of the report, adds: "It has been easy to overestimate the extent to which devolution has meant the best of both worlds up to now – both autonomy and a shared higher education system."
He said it probably benefit all parties involved, but in order to ensure this success continues, it is important for the bodies responsible for England to take into account the concerns of funding agencies and devolved governments.
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