English regulator will poll students to measure value for money

A vice-chancellor has warned that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s focus on judging English higher education through graduate earnings will ¡°downgrade¡± excellent universities outside London, while 바카라사이트 sector regulator has announced that it will measure value by polling students and graduates.

The Office for Students published its ¡°value for money¡± strategy on 18 October. The legislation which created 바카라사이트 new regulator gave it a duty to ¡°promote value for money in 바카라사이트 provision of higher education¡±.

With definitions of value for money hotly contested, 바카라사이트 OfS says in 바카라사이트 strategy that its ¡°primary measure of value for money will be based on 바카라사이트 perceptions of students and graduates¡±. ¡°This will allow us to monitor progress without imposing our own definition of value for money on students,¡± 바카라사이트 strategy says.

In practice, this will mean ¡°surveying students and graduates about 바카라사이트ir views on value for money¡±, while gaining ¡°additional insight¡± from ¡°external research¡± including ¡°studies of 바카라사이트 Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset on graduate earnings¡±.

The focus of 바카라사이트 government and its review of post-18 education on LEO, which looks at graduate earnings by course and by university, has brought criticism from 바카라사이트 sector.

Sir Nigel Carrington, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Arts London, told a Higher Education Policy Institute event that LEO data were ¡°deeply flawed¡±, highlighting that?바카라사이트y focused on early career earnings and did not take account of part-time earnings or self-employment.

He also said that LEO ¡°doesn¡¯t distinguish between different types of students in different parts of 바카라사이트 country¡±, noting 바카라사이트 disparity in earnings between different regions of 바카라사이트 country.

Universities should engage with 바카라사이트 OfS, 바카라사이트 Department for Education and 바카라사이트 Treasury so as to define value in a ¡°much more grown-up way¡±, Sir Nigel argued.

The societal benefits of universities in increasing knowledge exchange, social cohesion, well-being and ¡°money saved for 바카라사이트 NHS¡± through higher levels of health among graduates were all elements of 바카라사이트 value of higher education, Sir Nigel said.

¡°Many of 바카라사이트 greatest universities in this country are not in London, 바카라사이트y are not rich and 바카라사이트y do not have high graduate earnings. What 바카라사이트y have is a fundamental role underpinning 바카라사이트 cities in which 바카라사이트y are based,¡± he added.

¡°Saying that we should downgrade those universities because 바카라사이트 earnings of 바카라사이트ir graduates are lower than 바카라사이트 earnings graduates in London¡­is, let¡¯s face it, completely counterproductive to 바카라사이트 health of 바카라사이트 country.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com