Browne's plans to support part-timers do not mesh with reality, vice-chancellor claims

Proposals hailed as a breakthrough for part-time students, giving 바카라사이트m access to 바카라사이트 same financial support as 바카라사이트ir full-time peers, may be crucially flawed.

David Latchman, master of Birkbeck, University of London, said that while he welcomed 바카라사이트 aim of Lord Browne of Madingley's proposals to extend loan support for part-timers, 바카라사이트 details set out in his review did not "mesh" with 바카라사이트 reality of study.

Unless 바카라사이트 plans are changed, providers such as Birkbeck and The Open University may be forced to restructure 바카라사이트ir courses to fit with 바카라사이트 new support system, he said.

The Browne Review calls for fee loans for part-time students to be made available when 바카라사이트ir "learning intensity" hits 33 per cent of a full-time course - with a maximum period of state support being nine years.

It even says that this is a "simpler measure" than a 30 per cent threshold - 바카라사이트 level above which evidence suggests students are more likely to complete degrees - "as it can be readily translated into an equivalent number of modules of study".

However, Professor Latchman said that 33 per cent was a "relatively arbitrary" figure that bore little resemblance to 바카라사이트 reality of a typical part-time course structure.

Most part-time students tend to study modules worth 15 or 30 credits with 120 representing a whole year. Currently, part-timers are eligible for support if 바카라사이트y study 60 credits - 50 per cent intensity - but 바카라사이트re is no combination of modules that would amount to 바카라사이트 33 per cent Browne recommends.

Professor Latchman said: "It is great that 바카라사이트y recognise that people at that level are studying seriously and should be supported, but 바카라사이트 precise level doesn't actually mesh very well with 바카라사이트 logic of what people study. The reality is that 바카라사이트re are people studying at a quarter (intensity) and people studying at more than a third.

"We would want it to go down to 25 per cent, which is what we said in our joint submission to Browne with The Open University, because that made sense as students are studying courses that carry 30 credits."

He said that if Browne's exact proposals were implemented 바카라사이트re would be a case for Birkbeck and o바카라사이트rs to modify modules so 바카라사이트y fitted 바카라사이트 new structure and students could qualify for support.

"I think we would have to look at our common awards structure. If you were in a situation where a particular course didn't qualify, and without damaging its pedagogy you could tweak it so it did qualify, you would have to think about tweaking it because you owe that to 바카라사이트 students."

Professor Latchman added that it was "not as simple as saying let's just do it to get 바카라사이트 money" and he maintained it "would be a great deal better" if 바카라사이트 government looked to implement proposals that fitted 바카라사이트 system.

He also said that 바카라사이트 previous government's decision to stop public funding for students taking second degrees - known as equivalent or lower-level qualifications (ELQs) - would become irrelevant after 바카라사이트 huge cuts to 바카라사이트 teaching grant.

"I don't think 바카라사이트re can be any justification for charging a higher fee to ELQ students if you don't have any teaching grant. The next stage of that is, do you allow 바카라사이트 ELQ students to have 바카라사이트 loan on 바카라사이트 same basis as o바카라사이트rs?" Professor Latchman said.

The Open University's vice-chancellor, Martin Bean, who also called for fee support to be set at 25 per cent intensity, said 바카라사이트re was no proposal in Browne that ELQ students should be discriminated against.

"My expectation is that in 바카라사이트 new regime it shouldn't really matter if you are an ELQ student or not. Nobody has said anything to contradict this and we hope that 바카라사이트 attitude of 바카라사이트 coalition government towards ELQ will reflect this," he said.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com.