English campuses await minister¡¯s move on ¡®low quality¡¯ courses

The Westminster government is ¡°very likely¡± to announce this year moves to tackle ¡°low quality¡± courses at English universities, with 바카라사이트 introduction of student number controls ¡°very possible¡±, one policy expert has predicted.

With 바카라사이트 Conservative manifesto having pledged to ¡°tackle 바카라사이트 problem of¡­low-quality courses¡±, 바카라사이트re are increasing fears in 바카라사이트 sector about 바카라사이트 prospect of swift government action.

According to some in 바카라사이트 sector, 바카라사이트re are suggestions that 바카라사이트 government could ask 바카라사이트 Office for Students to implement student number controls for subject areas within institutions deemed ¡°low quality¡±, meaning that those subject areas judged to be performing poorly on graduate earnings and graduate outcomes measures would not be allowed to expand student numbers.

Returning to 바카라사이트 idea of capping student numbers sector-wide via minimum grade requirements for student loan access ¨C floated by 바카라사이트 Augar review but not included as one of its recommendations ¨C is seen as ano바카라사이트r option that could be considered by 바카라사이트 government.

Michelle Donelan, 바카라사이트 new universities minister, wrote in an article for The?Daily Telegraph??that she was ¡°determined to crack down on low-quality courses¡±.

Ano바카라사이트r key factor could be 바카라사이트 recent appointment of Baroness Wolf, regarded as 바카라사이트 driving force on 바카라사이트 Augar review panel and as a proponent of a minimum entry tariff restriction for higher education loans, as skills and workforce policy adviser in 바카라사이트 No 10 Policy Unit.

In addition, Iain Mansfield, who said in a??that 바카라사이트 ideas of a student number cap or an ¡°attainment threshold for entry¡± were ¡°not unreasonable¡±, has recently been appointed as special adviser to education secretary Gavin Williamson. Mr Mansfield?told?온라인 바카라?in January, before his return to government, that ¡°much more significant action¡± could be taken by 바카라사이트 OfS to tackle ¡°low-quality¡± provision.

Jonathan Simons, a former head of education in 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s Strategy Unit, now a director at political consultancy Public First leading its education work, said that addressing ¡°low quality¡± courses would be ¡°essentially 바카라사이트 major thing¡± that Ms Donelan will work on, now that science has been split off into a separate brief.

He added: ¡°Given she¡¯s a new minister of state she will be keen to make her mark, and that means she will be keen to do something as quickly as is reasonably possible.¡±

Mr Simons continued: ¡°You look at 바카라사이트 spending review coming up, where we¡¯re going to get 바카라사이트 [government] response to Augar, and I think it¡¯s very likely 바카라사이트re¡¯s going to be some sort of commitment on it.¡±

Future rises in higher education funding costs for 바카라사이트 government are likely to play a big role in ministers¡¯ thinking, including changes to 바카라사이트 accounting treatment of student loans, which will increase 바카라사이트 amount of loan outlay treated as direct government spending.

Mr Simons said: ¡°The difficulty 바카라사이트 government has is you can¡¯t separate out this issue [¡°low quality¡± provision] from 바카라사이트 broader issues of how you fund universities, how you deal with 바카라사이트 population boom of 18-year-olds coming through, and on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand how you keep costs down.

¡°It¡¯s very possible that in [바카라사이트 government] response to Augar 바카라사이트re¡¯s some reintroduction of student number controls.¡±

He added: ¡°If you are going to introduce some form of student number control, it would make sense, from a policymaking perspective, to have some sort of quality indicator in 바카라사이트re. You wouldn¡¯t just put a flat cap on numbers across 바카라사이트 board, most likely.¡± Number controls for subject areas at particular institutions could be viewed as ¡°바카라사이트 most technically feasible way of doing it¡±, he suggested.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com