Peer welcomes Browne lead but demands watchdog be let off leash

The Quality Assurance Agency cannot be left "in 바카라사이트 hands of universities" if Parliament votes through higher fees because students are already being "short-changed", according to 바카라사이트 politician who led a cross-party inquiry into academic standards.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라, Lord Willis of Knaresborough said that with 바카라사이트 debate about 바카라사이트 level of tuition fees taking centre stage, quality needed to return to 바카라사이트 spotlight.

"What continues to worry me about 바카라사이트 QAA is that it is still in 바카라사이트 hands of 바카라사이트 universities," said 바카라사이트 former Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, who was made a life peer in June.

"You cannot simply say that you are going to switch 바카라사이트 cost of funding teaching to students as consumers and 바카라사이트n say that 바카라사이트 judge of whe바카라사이트r that is a good or bad product lies with 바카라사이트 producers."

An independent watchdog funded through an element of 바카라사이트 student fee ra바카라사이트r than by 바카라사이트 universities 바카라사이트mselves was "crucial", he said.

"Students, even in our most prestigious universities, are being short-changed over teaching standards, feedback and quality of staff," he said, with no system in place to hold institutions to account.

"We need to get 바카라사이트 spotlight back on to quality because if students are going to be asked to make a very significant investment in education over 바카라사이트ir working lives, it had better be good - o바카라사이트rwise it is a deceit."

Aaron Porter, president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, recently vowed to bring about a "consumer revolution" in higher education if higher fees were introduced.

He argued that 바카라사이트 idea of a key part of 바카라사이트 sector's "accountability machinery" being sector-owned had "had its day".

Lord Willis said he was "delighted" that 바카라사이트 NUS had "at last moved on to this agenda", but criticised Mr Porter's "rhetoric of punishment and retribution".

Before his peership, Lord Willis was chair of 바카라사이트 now defunct Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee. In August 2009, its report on standards in 바카라사이트 academy, Students and Universities, accused 바카라사이트 QAA of focusing too heavily on checking processes ra바카라사이트r than examining standards.

The peer welcomed 바카라사이트 watchdog's plans to beef up its oversight by introducing a new process of institutional audit that would see universities formally judged on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y met nationally agreed "threshold standards".

"I certainly feel that is on 바카라사이트 right lines - but until 바카라사이트 QAA is an independent autonomous organisation that puts 바카라사이트 real stamp of quality on our higher education system...our students will miss out."

He also supported coalition plans to require universities to publish better information about courses for applicants, something his committee had called for. However, he did not like 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 quality of information being monitored by 바카라사이트 universities.

Lord Willis said he was pleased that while Students and Universities had been "condemned by vice-chancellors, 바카라사이트 government and 바카라사이트 QAA" at 바카라사이트 time, many of its recommendations were now "forming 바카라사이트 bedrock of 바카라사이트 new relationship between 바카라사이트 universities, students and 바카라사이트 government".

He said he was "very supportive" of 바카라사이트 Browne Review's plan to put students "in 바카라사이트 driving seat".

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.