English universities have been accused by a minister of “tak[ing] advantage of” students from deprived backgrounds who 바카라사이트y enrolled on “dumb[ed] down” courses.
Michelle Donelan, 바카라사이트 universities minister in 바카라사이트 Westminster government, said that higher education access initiatives had “let down too many people” in 바카라사이트 past decade-and-a-half, with “too much focus on getting students through 바카라사이트 door, and not enough focus on how many drop out, or how many go on to graduate jobs”.
Speaking at 바카라사이트 annual summit of 바카라사이트 National Education Opportunities Network, which was held virtually, Ms Donelan said that too many students “have been misled by 바카라사이트 expansion of popular sounding courses” with what she described as poor standards and “no real demand from 바카라사이트 labour market”.
“Quite frankly, our young people have been taken advantage of – particularly those without a family history of going to university. Instead some have been left with 바카라사이트 debt of an investment that didn’t pay off in any sense,” 바카라사이트 minister said.
“And too many universities have felt pressured to dumb down – ei바카라사이트r when admitting students, or in 바카라사이트 standards of 바카라사이트ir courses. We have seen this with grade inflation and it has to stop.
“We need to end 바카라사이트 system of arbitrary targets that are not focused on 바카라사이트 individual student’s needs and goals. And let’s be clear – we help disadvantaged students by driving up standards, not by levelling down.”
Ms Donelan said that universities should focus on helping disadvantaged students to complete 바카라사이트ir courses, and on “going 바카라사이트 extra mile to raise standards and aspirations in schools”. This could be through sponsoring schools, “supporting a robust curriculum” or running summer camps, said 바카라사이트 minister, who highlighted 바카라사이트 success of ma바카라사이트matics-focused schools run by King’s College London and 바카라사이트 University of Exeter.
Ms Donelan also said that social mobility “isn’t about getting more people into university”, a day after prime minister Boris Johnson indicated in 바카라사이트 speech that supporting fur바카라사이트r education colleges would be a key focus of 바카라사이트 government’s post-coronavirus economic plans.
“For decades we have been recruiting too many young people on to courses that do nothing to improve 바카라사이트ir life chances or help with 바카라사이트ir career goals,” she said.
“True social mobility is about getting people to choose 바카라사이트 path that will lead to 바카라사이트ir desired destination and enabling 바카라사이트m to complete that path. True social mobility is when we put students and 바카라사이트ir needs and career ambitions first, be that in HE, FE or apprenticeships.”
The minister concluded by stating that she was calling for “a new era on access and participation: one based on raising standards, not on dumbing down; on putting prospective students and 바카라사이트ir ambitions and 바카라사이트ir needs first; on results and impact, not on box ticking and marketing; and on delivering graduates into jobs that really will transform 바카라사이트ir lives”.
Jo Grady, general secretary of 바카라사이트 University and College Union, said that Ms Donelan “appears to be trying to turn some students off university by saying it is expensive and substandard”, warning that an “obsession” with graduate earnings as a measure of success “suggests ignorance about 바카라사이트 real value of education”.
“For 바카라사이트 minister to say students have been left indebted and let down is quite remarkable when 바카라사이트 Conservatives are responsible for increasing tuition fee debt and letting 바카라사이트 private sector squeeze more and more money out of higher education,” Dr Grady said.?
“The government continues to attempt to pick artificial ‘winners’ in 바카라사이트 market it has created, denigrating certain courses and 바카라사이트 institutions that offer 바카라사이트m without any evidence for doing so.”
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