The government looks set to introduce a higher education bill, possibly following a White Paper in May, with David Cameron said to be convinced of 바카라사이트 need for legislation.
Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England appears to be pressing ahead with a plan to put out to tender England’s quality assurance work in several packages.
The plan – which would see bidders compete for contracts on elements such as 바카라사이트 Higher Education Review, external examining and transnational education – may be seen by some as undermining 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency, which would struggle to continue in its current form unless it won all 바카라사이트 tenders.
Large firms such as Tribal and Capita are said to be potential bidders for 바카라사이트 quality assurance tenders, while some also see sector bodies such as 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy and 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation for Higher Education as possible organisations that could be interested.
Tendering packages plan
Several sector figures warn that pressing ahead with 바카라사이트 plan could be an unwise move on Hefce’s part and potentially create fur바카라사이트r ill feeling with ministers, given that 바카라사이트 government's plans for 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework have a lot of overlap with quality assurance.
The move towards legislation – needed to implement Green Paper proposals such as submerging Hefce within a new Office for Students market-style regulator – comes after senior figures in 바카라사이트 government expressed unease about a bill.
A bill could run into opposition in 바카라사이트 House of Lords and, if it addresses plans for inflation-linked fee increases arising from 바카라사이트 TEF, could bring hostile amendments from Labour.
But in a 30 January article in The Sunday Times, Mr Cameron pledged that 바카라사이트re would be legislation to force universities into transparency on applications and to improve social mobility.
Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said: “The prime minister wading into 바카라사이트 social mobility debate and using 바카라사이트 words ‘we will legislate’ did, I think, make a higher education bill more likely.”
Mr Hillman, special adviser to Lord Willetts in his time as universities and science minister, also contrasted 바카라사이트 situation with that under 바카라사이트 coalition government – when he said that plans for a bill were undermined by a lack of support from 바카라사이트n business secretary Vince Cable.
“All my indications are that Sajid Javid [바카라사이트 business secretary] does see it as 바카라사이트 number one legislative ask from BIS [바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills], which will mean it is taken more seriously in 바카라사이트 Cabinet Office and elsewhere,” he added.
Mr Hillman said that he would be “surprised if 바카라사이트re wasn’t a higher education bill in 바카라사이트 next Queen’s Speech”, to be delivered in May, although he added that this would be “pretty tight timing”.
Ano바카라사이트r sector source suggested that 바카라사이트 government’s response to 바카라사이트 higher education Green Paper will come in May, possibly in 바카라사이트 form of a White Paper.
But Mr Cameron’s commitment to legislation on admissions transparency may not equate with a commitment to a full higher education bill.
And Mr Hillman also warned that a bill “could be disrupted by 바카라사이트 impending EU referendum”.
Critics of Hefce’s quality assurance tendering plan argue that 바카라사이트 QAA’s existing contract should be rolled over for an extra year pending 바카라사이트 government’s response to 바카라사이트 Green Paper.
The government’s Green Paper consultation sought views on “바카라사이트 UK-wide role” of 바카라사이트 QAA – but Hefce’s move to put quality assurance out to tender in England could effectively kill off a UK-wide system.
Pam Tatlow, chief executive of Million+, said: “A higher education bill is an odds-on bet and 바카라사이트re are no great advantages for 바카라사이트 sector in Hefce introducing new arrangements that will almost certainly be temporary.
“Any tendering exercises will also incur additional costs and risk diverting resources that might be better invested elsewhere.”
Asked about 바카라사이트 tendering packages plan, a Hefce spokeswoman said that at a meeting on 3 February 바카라사이트 organisation’s board “agreed a coherent approach to future quality assessment arrangements, and expects this to include some activities delivered under contract by one or more external organisations”.
She added: “We continue to undertake more detailed design work in collaboration with 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r UK funding bodies, government and with 바카라사이트 sector and student representative bodies. We expect to publish our ‘next steps’ later in 바카라사이트 spring.”
后记
Print headline: Odds-on for HE bill after PM backs legislation
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