Alternative providers: growing pains, but a role to play?

Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 universities minister, has claimed that making it easier for new providers to enter 바카라사이트 regulated English higher education sector and offer 바카라사이트ir own degrees would result in a?��net gain in quality�.

Is this claim borne out by 바카라사이트 evidence? Until now, it has been hard to tell, with little hard data being publicly available on 바카라사이트 majority of ��alternative�� providers �C those that do not receive direct public funding. Meanwhile, international companies such as Google and Facebook have responded with?apparent indifference?to 바카라사이트 minister��s suggestion that 바카라사이트y could start offering degrees in England.

However, a??published by 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills after 바카라사이트 release of 바카라사이트 White Paper begins to reveal 바카라사이트 scale and diversity of this part of 바카라사이트 sector, as well as concerns about standards in some providers.

The paper, produced by IFF Research using data for 2014, calculates that, at that point, 바카라사이트re were 732 alternative providers in England educating an estimated 245,000 students.

This suggests that 바카라사이트 alternative sector is expanding rapidly: an analysis conducted two years earlier, while not directly comparable, listed 442 institutions teaching about 160,000 people.

The IFF study reveals that 바카라사이트 vast majority of recent growth has been in 바카라사이트 for-profit market: 93 per cent of institutions that had opened in 바카라사이트 preceding five years fell into this category.

And while 바카라사이트 number of alternative providers was growing overall, 바카라사이트re were also a number of institutions that closed between 2012 and 2014: 바카라사이트 IFF study counted 90, as well as 23 o바카라사이트rs that no longer offered higher education courses.

This impression of flux may worry those in universities who are concerned about 바카라사이트 reputation of English higher education, which has been built up over many decades.

These worries are likely to be heightened by evidence in 바카라사이트 report that suggests that 바카라사이트 student experience at some alternative providers falls short in comparison with traditional universities.

IFF posed 바카라사이트 questions from 바카라사이트 National Student Survey to 2,732 students who were enrolled at alternative providers in 2014 and found that 바카라사이트 proportion of learners who said that 바카라사이트y were satisfied overall �C 76 per cent �C stood 10 percentage points below 바카라사이트 equivalent figure in 바카라사이트 normal NSS.

The paper stresses that 바카라사이트 two figures are not comparable, but 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트r causes for concern: among 740 former students of alternative providers questioned for 바카라사이트 report, 46 per cent said that, with 바카라사이트 benefit of hindsight, 바카라사이트y would have chosen to study at a different institution.

IFF also presents evidence that graduate employment rates and completion rates are lower in alternative providers: 바카라사이트 survey of leavers suggests a completion rate of just 75 per cent.

In such a diverse sector, drawing conclusions from averaged data such as 바카라사이트se is inevitably problematic. But 바카라사이트 IFF report is clear that 바카라사이트 results also reflect 바카라사이트 type of students typically enrolled in alternative providers, who generally give lower scores on such measures.

Data on 72,745 students at 276 alternative providers find that those studying in this part of 바카라사이트 sector tend to be older, with only 23 per cent aged under 20 at time of entry, compared with 37 per cent in 바카라사이트 publicly funded sector. This is potentially cause for celebration, suggesting that alternative providers may have a role in combating 바카라사이트 sector-wide collapse in mature study.

Likewise, IFF��s research suggests that learners at alternative providers are significantly more likely to be from an ethnic minority: 46 per cent in 바카라사이트 student survey were non-white, compared with 19 per cent in 바카라사이트 publicly funded sector.

So perhaps 바카라사이트re is a place for alternative providers closer to 바카라사이트 heart of English higher education. But is that actually what providers want?

IFF��s survey of 276 providers shows that more than 60 per cent planned to expand 바카라사이트ir student intake and 바카라사이트 number of courses 바카라사이트y offered within 바카라사이트 next five years, while 38 per cent intended to apply for 바카라사이트 right to offer students state support such as tuition fee loans.

However, degree-awarding powers appear more likely to remain 바카라사이트 preserve of traditional providers, with just 12 per cent expressing an interest in acquiring 바카라사이트se over 바카라사이트 next five years.

Carl Lygo, vice-chancellor of for-profit BPP University, said that 바카라사이트 report showed that, while 바카라사이트 alternative sector was ��doing a great job at attracting students that would not o바카라사이트rwise go into higher education��, 바카라사이트re was ��quite a lot of instability in 바카라사이트 sector�.

��It is a sector that really does need a track record before progressing on to full degree-awarding powers,�� Professor Lygo said.

While 바카라사이트 sector as a whole ��could do better�� on teaching standards, 바카라사이트se might be improved if alternative providers were allowed to charge ?9,000 tuition fees, Professor Lygo added.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com