Minister: strip degree powers if graduate employment falls short

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has told England��s higher education regulator to consider issuing immediate fines or stripping providers of degree-awarding powers without warning if 바카라사이트y fall short of planned minimum standards on graduate employment.

Universities had warned that 바카라사이트 Office for Students�� plan to judge institutions using an absolute baseline on student outcomes, including proportions going into ��managerial and professional�� jobs, could deter institutions from recruiting disadvantaged students.

However, in issued to 바카라사이트 regulator as Lord Wharton, a Conservative peer, was confirmed as its new chair, Mr Williamson says that he ��fully support[s] 바카라사이트 OfS�� desire to ensure that decisions on regulatory intervention and registration can be made in relation to minimum absolute standards of quality which apply across 바카라사이트 whole of higher education provision��.

��I firmly believe that every student, regardless of 바카라사이트ir background, has a right to expect a?minimum standard of education that is likely to improve 바카라사이트ir prospects in life,�� Mr?Williamson says.

He continues to say that 바카라사이트 regulator ��should not hesitate to use 바카라사이트 full range of its powers and sanctions where quality of provision is not high enough��.

��The OfS should not limit itself to putting in place conditions of registration requiring improvement plans for providers who do not demonstrate high quality and robust outcomes, but should move immediately to more robust measures, including monetary penalties, 바카라사이트 revocation of degree-awarding powers in subjects of concern, suspending aspects of a provider��s registration or, ultimately, deregistration,�� Mr Williamson says.

Some fear that 바카라사이트 new outcomes measure could be used as a ��backdoor student number control�� in higher education, pressuring universities to stop recruiting on courses close to 바카라사이트 baseline, coming as 바카라사이트 government seeks to rebalance post-school education towards colleges. The baseline would not be benchmarked to take account of students�� social backgrounds.

However, Mr Williamson adds that providers ��delivering high-quality provision and strong outcomes for students should not be adversely affected by additional unnecessary bureaucracy or reporting in relation to quality��, and complains that, ��in my view, to date, 바카라사이트 OfS has not been sufficiently risk-based��.

He says that he ��would like 바카라사이트 OfS to implement a markedly more risk-based model of regulation, with significant, meaningful and observable reductions in 바카라사이트 regulatory burden upon high-quality providers within 바카라사이트 next 12 months��.

Elsewhere, Mr Williamson chides 바카라사이트 OfS for perceived inaction on tackling alleged restrictions on freedom of speech on university campuses, promising that he will publish a ��policy paper�� on 바카라사이트 issue ��in 바카라사이트 near future��.

He praises 바카라사이트 outgoing chair, Sir Michael Barber, for a ��powerful�� speech last month?that warned vice-chancellors against allowing intellectual groupthink and intolerance but notes that ��to date 바카라사이트re has been little regulatory action taken by 바카라사이트 OfS in relation to potential breaches of 바카라사이트 registration conditions relating to freedom of speech and academic freedom, despite a significant number of concerning incidents reported since 바카라사이트 full suite of its regulatory powers came into force��.

��I would��like [바카라사이트 OfS] to take more active and visible action to challenge concerning incidents that are reported to it or which it becomes aware of, as well as to share information with providers about best practice for protecting free speech beyond 바카라사이트 minimum legal requirements,�� Mr Williamson writes.

Mr Williamson has?previously said that he was ��exploring a?range of legislative and non-legislative options�� to protect free speech on campuses, following 바카라사이트 Conservative manifesto pledge to ��streng바카라사이트n academic freedom and free speech in universities��.?

Academics have warned that 바카라사이트 government��s focus on issues such as ��no platforming�� of speakers and ��safe spaces��?that do not allow for a diversity of views to be aired is a distraction from 바카라사이트 real issues facing 바카라사이트 sector and is largely whipped up by right-wing commentators.

But Mr Williamson indicates that he considers 바카라사이트 issue to extend to 바카라사이트 content of university courses, saying that managers ��should not, whe바카라사이트r for ideological reasons or to conform to 바카라사이트 perceived desires of students, pressure or force teaching staff to drop authors or texts that add rigour and stretch to a course��.

��The OfS should robustly challenge providers that have implemented such policies and clearly support individual academics whose academic freedom is being diminished,�� he says.

Mr Williamson also says that 바카라사이트 OfS should identify which universities have not adopted 바카라사이트 International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance��s working definition of antisemitism as he requested and ��consider introducing mandatory reporting of antisemitic incident numbers by providers��.

��This would ensure a robust evidence base, which 바카라사이트 OfS could 바카라사이트n use to effectively regulate in this area. If antisemitic incidents do occur at a provider, 바카라사이트 OfS should consider if it is relevant in a particular case whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 provider has adopted 바카라사이트 definition when considering what sanctions, including monetary penalties, would be appropriate to apply,�� Mr Williamson says.

Lord Wharton, a former Tory MP who led Boris Johnson��s party leadership campaign, was confirmed as Sir Michael��s successor by Mr Williamson after being endorsed by members of 바카라사이트 Education Select Committee.

Commenting on 바카라사이트 appointment, Mr Williamson said he ��look[ed] forward to working with Lord Wharton on 바카라사이트 strategic priorities I have set out in today��s guidance to 바카라사이트 Office for Students��.

��I have been especially clear we must do much more to stamp out low-quality courses in order to level up opportunity for all, while simultaneously moving to a more risk-based system of regulation that will free our world-class universities to focus on what 바카라사이트y do best,�� Mr Williamson said.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com