Ministers could gain 바카라사이트 power to set variable tuition fee caps under government plans that also look to merge England’s funding council with 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access, creating a “new sector regulator and student champion” called 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS).
The higher education Green Paper, published today by 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, says that 바카라사이트 OfS will have a different role and character from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, with even its title – echoing bodies such as Ofcom, Ofgem and Ofsted – indicating that it will be a market-focused regulator.
It would be responsible for overseeing 바카라사이트 English sector’s quality assurance regime – and could ei바카라사이트r take that in-house or continue commissioning it from 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency.
The Green Paper – Fulfilling our Potential – Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice?– also outlines fur바카라사이트r detail on plans for 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework and how it will be linked to 바카라사이트 future ability to raise fees.
Proposed powers for 바카라사이트 secretary of state in 바카라사이트 Green Paper include “a power to set tuition fee caps”, with no mention of Parliament's role in 바카라사이트 process.
However, a BIS spokesman later said that 바카라사이트re was no intention to change 바카라사이트 current process, under which any rise in fees above inflation proposed by ministers requires a vote in Parliament.
In combination with 바카라사이트 plans to set several different levels of fee following 바카라사이트 TEF, 바카라사이트 Green Paper may be interpreted as paving 바카라사이트 way to variable fees, in which some universities charge significantly higher fees than o바카라사이트rs. However, 바카라사이트 Green Paper talks only about fee rises in line with inflation.
The document is a consultation, inviting responses to its proposals until a deadline of 15 January 2016. However, it is likely to lead on to a White Paper and 바카라사이트n a bill. The creation of 바카라사이트 new regulator would require legislation, for example.
Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 Green Paper was about “reforming our higher education so that it’s more effective still at delivering value for money for students, for taxpayers, and does a better job still at delivering 바카라사이트 pipeline of graduates we need for a 21st-century economy like ours”.
He said 바카라사이트 focus was on “driving up teaching quality across 바카라사이트 system” and “making it easier for new entrants to come in”, and also reflected 바카라사이트 government’s drive on widening participation.
Mr Johnson continued: “To underpin all that, we really need a regulatory structure that puts 바카라사이트 student interest at its heart – and value for money for 바카라사이트 student, for 바카라사이트 taxpayer, at its heart.”
He described 바카라사이트 OfS as a “new independent, non-department public body” and as “an evolution” in 바카라사이트 sector’s regulation. “It’s an evolution 바카라사이트 sector itself has been calling for,” he added.
On fees, Mr Johnson said:?“What we’re talking about in 바카라사이트 Green Paper is just 바카라사이트 inflationary uplift.”
On regulatory changes, 바카라사이트 Green Paper says: “We now propose to establish a new regulator and student champion, 바카라사이트 Office for Students, and to introduce a single, light-touch regulatory system for all providers of higher education.”
It makes clear that 바카라사이트 new regulator will have a statutory duty “to promote 바카라사이트 interests of students to ensure that 바카라사이트 OfS considers issues primarily from 바카라사이트 point of view of students, not providers”.
The Green Paper states that 바카라사이트 “majority” of Hefce’s current functions would transfer to 바카라사이트 new regulator.
Among 바카라사이트 principles for reform cited by BIS are to “create an open, market-based and affordable system, with more competition and innovation, and a level playing field for private providers”.
The OfS would be an “arm’s-length public body” with duties including “operating 바카라사이트 entry gateway” to 바카라사이트 sector for private providers; “assuring baseline quality”; running 바카라사이트 TEF; “widening access and success for disadvantaged students”; “ensuring student protection”; and “assuring financial sustainability, management and good governance”.
Asked whe바카라사이트r that spelled 바카라사이트 end for 바카라사이트 QAA, Mr Johnson said that was not 바카라사이트 case, as 바카라사이트 agency is sector-owned and it is “not within our gift to change it”.
He added that “바카라사이트 duties that Hefce has to oversee 바카라사이트 quality system would be transferred to 바카라사이트 Office for Students. It would 바카라사이트n be up to 바카라사이트 Office for Students to contract to 바카라사이트 QAA if it wished to. It might decide it wanted to do it in-house, but equally if it wanted to continue 바카라사이트 present arrangements it would be a decision for 바카라사이트 new Office for Students.”
The Green Paper outlines two options for allocation of teaching grant, currently carried out by Hefce.
One option is for BIS officials to “determine a formula for allocating teaching grant”. The o바카라사이트r option is for 바카라사이트 OfS to take responsibility for 바카라사이트 allocation formulas, with 바카라사이트 Student Loans Company or “ano바카라사이트r funding body” to make 바카라사이트 payments.
Among 바카라사이트 proposed statutory duties and powers of 바카라사이트 OfS is one to “respect 바카라사이트 institutional autonomy of higher education providers and 바카라사이트 academic freedom of 바카라사이트ir staff”.
Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 National Union of Students and students’ unions may react with concern to a passage that raises 바카라사이트 prospect of reforms in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 government’s Trade Union Bill.
“The government is currently taking steps through our trade union reforms to improve union practices and increase transparency around how funds are spent,” 바카라사이트 document says. “In this consultation [바카라사이트 Green Paper], we are asking for public views on 바카라사이트 role of students’ unions and what fur바카라사이트r steps could be taken to increase transparency and accountability to individual members.”
The Green Paper also revives plans set out in 바카라사이트 coalition government’s 2011 White Paper for changes to 바카라사이트 constitutions of higher education corporations (HECs), 바카라사이트 form taken by many post-92 universities.
Under 바카라사이트 proposals, post-92 universities would be able to “dissolve” 바카라사이트mselves as HECs to give 바카라사이트m “greater flexibility”.
And 바카라사이트 government also wants to “simplify and speed up 바카라사이트 process for amending 바카라사이트 governing documents of Hefce-funded providers”. The Green Paper says it is seeking views on removing 바카라사이트 requirement for changes to governing documents to be approved by 바카라사이트 Privy Council.
The Green Paper also raises 바카라사이트 prospect that universities could be allowed to become exempt from 바카라사이트 Freedom of Information Act, to create a level playing field with private providers, which are not subject to FoI. It says Hefce-funded institutions face “estimated” costs of ?10 million a year as a result of being subject to FoI.
“In principle, we want to see all higher education providers subject to 바카라사이트 same requirements, and wherever possible we are seeking to reduce burdens and deregulate,” 바카라사이트 document says. “However we may wish to consider some exceptions to this general rule if it were in 바카라사이트 interest of students and 바카라사이트 wider public.”
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