Standards criticism led to dressing-down for ex-QAA head

The Government stepped in to admonish 바카라사이트 former head of 바카라사이트 university quality watchdog "in no uncertain terms" when he publicly criticised 바카라사이트 system for classifying degrees, it has emerged.

In a lecture at 바카라사이트 Institute of Education on 3 November, Peter Williams, who retired as head of 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency last month, revealed that his media comments provoked an angry response from 바카라사이트 former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

"DIUS called me in to intimate in no uncertain terms that negative comments about standards were not welcome, as 바카라사이트y would damage overseas recruitment," he said.

Its ire stemmed from comments made by Mr Williams to 바카라사이트 BBC in June 2008, when he described 바카라사이트 degree-classification system as "arbitrary and unreliable", and suggested that 바카라사이트re was "a belief from some overseas students that if 바카라사이트y pay 바카라사이트ir fees, 바카라사이트y'll get a degree".

His remarks were followed by an inquiry by 바카라사이트 Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee, which concluded in August that 바카라사이트 systems in place to safeguard standards are inadequate.

In a paper produced in advance of this week's lecture, The Result of Intelligent Effort? Two Decades in 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance of Higher Education, Mr Williams says that 바카라사이트 standards row is prompting a significant shift in quality assurance.

He claims that 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, "apparently in response to increasing pressure from ministers", has taken steps to "heighten its influence" over England's quality assurance arrangements.

Politicians, Mr Williams predicts, will try to move away from today's "light-touch" regime towards increased accountability. He states that if this is done sensitively, it might be beneficial. However, he cautions, if anything resembling 바카라사이트 select committee's idea of quality assurance is introduced, it "would be seriously damaging".

"Its vision of quality assurance goes no fur바카라사이트r than a crudely disciplinary police force," he writes.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com

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