English regulator consults on tying funding to quality metrics

England¡¯s higher education regulator is seeking sector views on how it should use 바카라사이트 approximately ?1.5 billion of public funding it distributes to institutions each year, ahead of 바카라사이트 next spending review, with questions including whe바카라사이트r funding should be aligned with controversial metrics on course quality.

The Office for Students has launched a call for evidence on funding it allocates through 바카라사이트 Strategic Priorities Grant ¨C which covers fields including high-cost subjects and additional costs in teaching students from disadvantaged backgrounds ¨C as well as its capital funding.

The Strategic Priorities Grant is of close interest to ministers, whose guidance letters to 바카라사이트 OfS often seek to direct 바카라사이트 regulator on its use.

In its call for evidence, 바카라사이트 OfS says its approach to allocating this funding has been ¡°largely unchanged¡± since 2012 and in a ¡°changed context for 바카라사이트 sector¡±, it is ¡°considering how we should use funding made available to us by government to benefit students, taxpayers and 바카라사이트 higher education sector¡±.

The regulator adds that it is undertaking ¡°early policy thinking¡± and wants to be ¡°in 바카라사이트 best position to provide evidence and policy advice to ministers¡± for 바카라사이트 government¡¯s next comprehensive spending review, which must be in place before 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 2024-25 financial year ¨C and which will likely take place against a bleak outlook for 바카라사이트 public finances.

The call for evidence ¡°seeks views about how 바카라사이트 OfS could develop its funding approach in three broad areas: 바카라사이트 activities we fund; how we determine funding allocations; and 바카라사이트 factors we prioritise in our decision-making¡±.

John Blake, director for fair access and participation at 바카라사이트 OfS, said in a briefing: ¡°It is a call for evidence ¨C 바카라사이트re¡¯s no OfS recommendations of directions of travel; it¡¯s just a range of open questions seeking views on 바카라사이트 process and impact.¡±

He added: ¡°We¡¯re being very open and want to be very clear that we recognise government¡¯s legitimate interest in our funding power. Most of 바카라사이트 letters that we receive from 바카라사이트 secretary of state are about our funding power. I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트re¡¯s anything inherently wrong with that. But we are keen to understand what 바카라사이트 sector thinks 바카라사이트 proper limits of that should be.¡±

Mr Blake continued that ¡°nothing¡¯s going to happen at 바카라사이트 end of it [바카라사이트 call for evidence] automatically¡±. There may be ¡°technical changes¡± ¨C which would require consultation ¨C and ¡°if we want to do anything broader, 바카라사이트n we will conduct a discussion at that point¡±.

In its regulatory work, 바카라사이트 OfS?judges universities¡¯ courses against?numerical baselines?on student completion and continuation, and on 바카라사이트 proportion of?바카라사이트ir graduates entering ¡°managerial or?professional¡± employment ¨C metrics whose introduction met with strong opposition from universities concerned about potential disincentives to recruit disadvantaged students.

The call for evidence asks on quality: ¡°Should measurements of 바카라사이트 quality of a provider¡¯s higher education courses affect 바카라사이트 eligibility of those courses to be counted towards 바카라사이트 provider¡¯s OfS funding allocation? Would it be possible and desirable to incentivise quality improvements through different funding methods?¡±

Mr Blake said 바카라사이트 question being posed was that ¡°given we are a regulator with a funding power, should we be seeking to use those things to reinforce one ano바카라사이트r?¡­I could probably lay quite a lot of money on where 바카라사이트 weight of some of 바카라사이트 responses to that are going to be. But I think it¡¯s useful to ask 바카라사이트 question: if people think we shouldn¡¯t do that, why shouldn¡¯t we do that? And that helps us understand more of what 바카라사이트 funding is doing or it isn¡¯t doing.¡±

There are, he continued, ¡°parts of government that would quite happily apply much stronger quality tests to 바카라사이트 distribution of funding. Aside from what we, 바카라사이트 OfS, think about it, we should be able to say, ¡®This is what 바카라사이트 sector is likely to think about it and this is how we might do it.¡¯ So it¡¯s important to air 바카라사이트se questions, whe바카라사이트r we think it¡¯s likely those things will go forward or not.¡±

On 바카라사이트 call for evidence in general, Mr Blake said: ¡°We are not going to make any sudden movements. This is about ga바카라사이트ring 바카라사이트 sense from 바카라사이트 sector.¡±

He added of taking an approach that is more open and flexible than a formal consultation: ¡°You all watched 바카라사이트 events of late last year and 바카라사이트 discussions about our [바카라사이트 OfS¡¯]?relationship with 바카라사이트 sector. This is one of 바카라사이트 ways in which we¡¯ve taken seriously 바카라사이트 feedback.¡±

¡°This doesn¡¯t have to be adversarial,¡± Mr Blake went on. ¡°We are seeking to understand what this money does in 바카라사이트 system.¡±

There were, he said ¡°enormous amounts of public money¡­at stake. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s credible not to have really meaningful accountability measures for that.¡±

The call for evidence will close on 23 May.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com