Margaret Thatcher’s Legacy Divides British Higher Education

By Thomas Docherty. Often after someone dies who had significant influence over our lives, there is an argument over his or her legacy. In the case of Margaret Thatcher, rarely has the debate been more divisive—and higher education is not immune. Among university colleagues there is argument not just about what her legacy actually is, but about whether professors need to do more to actively reject its influence, which continues to help guide education policy today. Admirers will point to the obvious physical manifestation of her legacy: the University of Buckingham, Britain’s first private university, which opened while Thatcher was minister for education in 1976, and where she served as chancellor for a period starting in 1992. Buckingham’s current vice chancellor, Terence Kealey, praises Thatcher for introducing the sector “to greater accountability and to market forces.” Read more...