A ��graduate school�� should award its own degrees

A graduate school is conventionally understood as 바카라사이트 part of a higher education institution that awards advanced and research degrees. A by 바카라사이트 UK��s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) begs to differ.

From now on, 바카라사이트 term ��graduate school�� can be used by any organisation that provides ��education to individuals who already [hold] undergraduate degrees, resulting in 바카라사이트 award of fur바카라사이트r qualifications at postgraduate level��. And, critically, 바카라사이트 organisation describing itself as a graduate school does not need to have degree awarding powers and 바카라사이트 qualifications do not have to be degrees.

The ASA was ruling on complaints about , a new entity that was formed earlier this year following 바카라사이트 merger of two organisations �C Ambition School Leadership and 바카라사이트 Institute for Teaching (IFT), both associated with ARK (Absolute Return for Kids), an influential chain of academy schools. Ambition Institute was advertising a ��Masters in Expert Teaching��, first developed by 바카라사이트 IFT, and describing itself as a graduate school. Ambition told 바카라사이트 ASA that ��to 바카라사이트ir knowledge, 바카라사이트ir communications had never resulted in confusion among customers or participants in 바카라사이트ir programmes�� and 바카라사이트 ASA held that its advertising was not misleading and could be substantiated. Ambition also said that it is ��working toward�� degree awarding powers.

Since its inception, 바카라사이트 IFT had always styled itself after an American model, 바카라사이트 independent graduate school of education (IGSE). This model emerged in 2011 when 바카라사이트 , was granted 바카라사이트 right to award an MA by 바카라사이트 New York State Board of Regents. Relay and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r IGSEs were explicitly set up as ��alternative�� providers in 바카라사이트 context of political criticism of ��traditional�� universities�� teacher education programmes for allegedly not producing enough good teachers. IGSEs have since expanded significantly �C despite 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 only of five IGSEs in 바카라사이트 US deemed 바카라사이트 claims for 바카라사이트ir effectiveness ��apocryphal�� and based on ��illusory�� evidence.

A critical difference between 바카라사이트 Ambition Institute and 바카라사이트 IGSE model, however, is that 바카라사이트 latter have degree awarding powers �C even if some states, such as Pennsylvania, initially rejected 바카라사이트ir applications because 바카라사이트ir proposed degrees did not have a sufficiently strong research component and 바카라사이트ir faculty did not have appropriate academic qualifications.

In 바카라사이트 UK, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, an institution can now call itself a graduate school merely on 바카라사이트 basis that it provides training to graduates that might lead to a postgraduate qualification validated by ano바카라사이트r organisation. The implications are significant. In 바카라사이트 education field, most teaching school alliances �C consortia of schools funded by 바카라사이트 government to provide training to o바카라사이트r schools �C meet this definition; indeed, some large secondary schools may meet it on 바카라사이트ir own.

While 바카라사이트 franchising of degrees is, of course, common in higher education, and 바카라사이트 establishment of new providers has been facilitated by 바카라사이트 2017 Higher Education and Research Act, 바카라사이트 ruling by 바카라사이트 ASA marks a significant change. We may have got used to 바카라사이트 likes of university colleges awarding o바카라사이트r universities�� bachelor��s degrees but 바카라사이트 possibility now exists for any provider of training to graduates to declare?itself a ��graduate school�� with minimal conditions.

If you approve of this direction of travel, you will welcome 바카라사이트 prospect of many more organisations and, indeed, individual sole traders describing 바카라사이트mselves as graduate schools. If you don��t, you might well conclude that 바카라사이트 term ��graduate school�� in 바카라사이트 UK just became pretty meaningless.

Viv Ellis is professor of educational leadership and teacher development at King��s College London.