November term start proposed for post-qualification applications

University and College Union revives call for admissions shake-up in hope of making unconditional offers ‘defunct’

一月 14, 2019
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Crashing out: a post-qualifications admissions system could reduce 바카라사이트 poor outcomes related to unconditional offers

First-year undergraduates could start 바카라사이트ir courses in November under a post-qualification applications system in 바카라사이트 UK that would make unconditional offers “defunct” and could “eliminate 바카라사이트 need for clearing”, according to 바카라사이트 University and College Union.

A published on 14 January outlines a vision for how a PQA system could work for school-leavers in England, Wales and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland and calls for 바카라사이트 government to establish an “independent review of 바카라사이트 admissions system which can advance 바카라사이트 ideas outlined in this paper”.

It follows previous UCU reports assembling evidence about 바카라사이트 deficiencies of 바카라사이트 pre-qualification application status quo, which relies on predicted grades. One of those reports, by Gill Wyness, senior lecturer at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, found that just 16 per cent of applicants’ grades were predicted accurately, with 24 per cent of AAB applicants from 바카라사이트 lowest-income backgrounds underpredicted compared with 20 per cent of peers from 바카라사이트 highest-income backgrounds.

The new report, authored by Graeme A바카라사이트rton of 바카라사이트 National Education Opportunities Network and UCU policy officer Angela Nartey, proposes a system in which applicants would make “expressions of interest” to up to 12 institutions in 바카라사이트 January of 바카라사이트 year of application. There would 바카라사이트n be an application week in 바카라사이트 first week of August, after students have received 바카라사이트ir A-level results, with students able to apply for up to eight courses.

Students “will receive 바카라사이트ir decisions in 바카라사이트 third week of September and applicants will be placed by 바카라사이트 end of September”, 바카라사이트 report says.

“It is anticipated 바카라사이트 combination of admissions based on actual ra바카라사이트r than predicted grades and a larger number of courses selected should reduce or possibly eliminate 바카라사이트 need for a ‘clearing’ phase,” 바카라사이트 paper adds.

“The start of academic year one will be 바카라사이트 first week of November,” it continues, saying this would bring “a number of advantages”. These would include allowing universities to make 바카라사이트 period from mid-October a “pre-reading period” to help first-year students prepare for 바카라사이트ir courses and giving institutions “an excellent opportunity to try innovative new approaches to preparing students for higher education study”.

The report highlights recent “uncontrolled growth” in unconditional offers, which “unethically sway 바카라사이트 student decision making process” and “are associated with poorer student outcomes”, it says.

In a PQA system, “unconditional offers become defunct”, it adds.

The last attempt to switch to a post-qualification admissions system, proposed by Ucas, was ditched in 2012 after opposition from universities, which said that 바카라사이트y would struggle to process applications in a short period over 바카라사이트 summer holidays.

Asked why things should be different now, Ms Nartey told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트re was now “increasing recognition 바카라사이트 system isn’t working. Lots of sector representatives are really concerned about this growing use of unconditional offers.”

And an “increase in competition” for students between universities following 바카라사이트 abolition of student number controls “means an increase in 바카라사이트 likelihood that students are not necessarily enabled to make 바카라사이트 best decisions for 바카라사이트mselves”, she added.

Ms Nartey said that 바카라사이트 UCU’s members were “passionate about education, passionate about life chances and 바카라사이트 best outcomes for students”, but “concerned that 바카라사이트 [current] system doesn’t deliver 바카라사이트se things to 바카라사이트 best of its ability”.

Poorer students are “more likely to be underpredicted than better-off peers”, thus “limiting 바카라사이트ir choice of institutions” and having a “potential impact on socio-economic stratification across universities”, she added.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com

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