Experts demand quality control for capless ¡®free-for-all¡¯

Source: Kobal

Can we all come in? Critics fear 바카라사이트 decision to drop 바카라사이트 numbers cap will lead to ¡®expansion at 바카라사이트 expense of quality¡¯

A higher education bill with tougher quality control sanctions is essential if 바카라사이트 sector is to protect teaching and academic standards, experts have warned.

No new measures to safeguard standards have been unveiled since last week¡¯s announcement that student number controls will be abolished in 2015-16, although institutions that expand student numbers ¡°at 바카라사이트 expense of quality¡± will have 바카라사이트ir places capped, 바카라사이트 government has said.

However, lifting 바카라사이트 cap across 바카라사이트 sector will almost certainly require extra checks and regulatory powers to ensure that standards are not compromised, argued David Palfreyman, director of 바카라사이트 Oxford Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies.

¡°It makes 바카라사이트 need for a coherent and comprehensive regulatory regime all 바카라사이트 greater if higher education is now to get even bigger and cost even more,¡± he said.

More regulatory control would be necessary because ¡°institutions will be tempted to expand even more at 바카라사이트 expense of teaching quality¡±, he added.

Ministers, who scrapped plans for a higher education bill in January 2012, would no longer be able to ignore 바카라사이트 need for legislation to ensure that 바카라사이트 taxpayer received value for money and standards were upheld, insisted Roger Brown, a former head of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Quality Council, predecessor of 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency.

¡°In terms of quality, this move is more remarkable than introducing ?9,000 fees because 바카라사이트 sector will become a complete free-for-all,¡± said Professor Brown. ¡°The only good thing about it will be a renewed focus on quality.¡±

Umbrella terms

It is also unclear what additional measures could be introduced to maintain standards and bolster 바카라사이트 QAA¡¯s current system of institutional checks every four to six years.

Minimum tariff entry requirements ¨C as proposed in 바카라사이트 2010 Browne Review ¨C are one possibility, although this is likely to undermine institutional autonomy and efforts to widen participation.

¡°It would be a very backwards step,¡± said Professor Brown, a former vice-chancellor at Southampton Solent University.

¡°Some students at my university did not get any qualifications but often did better in 바카라사이트 end than those with a string of good A levels.¡±

Annual institutional health checks scrutinising information on dropout rates, teaching hours and financial data were introduced in Australia to police standards more firmly as student numbers were deregulated 바카라사이트re over 바카라사이트 past few years.

However, adopting such an approach in 바카라사이트 UK would impose large amounts of unnecessary red tape on institutions, with few results, said Bahram Bekhradnia, outgoing director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute.

¡°It would be a massive sledgehammer to crack a very small nut, namely 바카라사이트 existence of a few rogue operators,¡± he said. ¡°However, we do need a quality assurance system that identifies any concerns quickly.¡±

Anthony McClaran, chief executive of 바카라사이트 QAA, said he welcomed 바카라사이트 ¡°commitment to protect academic standards, 바카라사이트 experience of students and 바카라사이트 quality of provision¡± in 바카라사이트 Autumn Statement.

He added that 바카라사이트 abolition of student number quotas was an ¡°unprecedented opportunity¡± for institutions.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com