Tundra out in the cold

A Hesa report suggests its new measure of deprivation could be a welcome metric

For many years, those of us who follow the world of UK higher education closely have been pretty cold on some of the ways it measures disadvantage—and that’s not only because the measures in question (Tundra, Polar) seem to be intentionally named to conjure up arctic imagery.

While there are those who question the value of higher education, there really is little doubting the benefits that it offers to those who access it. Playbook need not repeat the research showing the earnings premium enjoyed by graduates (declining, perhaps, but still important), not to mention the civic, health and lifestyle benefits associated with the acquisition of a degree.