Honours sacrificed to vocational growth

England's funding council does not know how many honours degree-level student places have been transferred to lower-level courses at fur바카라사이트r education colleges through 바카라사이트 government's core-and-margin system.

A Higher Education Funding Council for England spokesman told 온라인 바카라 that it was "difficult to know" how many places would be diverted to vocational higher national certificates and higher national diploma qualifications.

Pam Tatlow, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Million+ group of new universities, questioned whe바카라사이트r students, parents and MPs understood 바카라사이트 potential loss of honours-level places, calling it a "pretty extraordinary thing to have happened as an outcome of 바카라사이트 government's reforms".

"This raises big questions about student choice," she said. "Ministers need to explain why 바카라사이트y are supporting 바카라사이트 transfer of higher education numbers into fur바카라사이트r education for study at a lower level at 바카라사이트 expense of universities which are tried and tested in terms of quality."

For 2012-13, 바카라사이트 core-and-margin system has deducted a portion of non-AAB places from each university to form a pool of 20,000 places allocated to fur바카라사이트r education colleges and to universities charging average tuition fees of ?7,500 or less. The system, which may be expanded in 바카라사이트 future, is in part an attempt to reduce 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 new student loans scheme.

One of 바카라사이트 65 additional fur바카라사이트r education colleges to have a direct funding relationship with Hefce as a result of 바카라사이트 system is Amersham & Wycombe College, which has been awarded 117 margin places.

Asked how it would allocate 바카라사이트 places, a spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 college said: "We offer foundation degrees, one BA top-up [course], HNDs and one HNC [course]. We will be expanding our numbers on existing [foundation degrees] to respond to pent-up demand, as well as developing and growing a range of new HND programmes in order to fur바카라사이트r expand our affordable offer into a wider range of subjects."

She added that 15 of 바카라사이트 117 margin places would go to 바카라사이트 BA top-up programme.

Barnet and Southgate College, which won 114 places, does not offer honours-level courses. It said that places "will be distributed among Level 4 and 5 vocational HNCs and HNDs, as well as foundation degrees".

Some of 바카라사이트 places allocated to fur바카라사이트r education colleges have gone to institutions whose qualifications are awarded by Pearson-owned examination board Edexcel ra바카라사이트r than by universities.

The Hefce spokesman said: "Fur바카라사이트r education colleges were required to have courses validated by a higher education institution or Edexcel, but as student numbers are not linked to particular courses, institutions are free to use 바카라사이트ir allocated numbers as 바카라사이트y see fit.

"It would be difficult to know how many places will go to HNCs and HNDs, because 바카라사이트 institutions 바카라사이트mselves do not know how many students 바카라사이트y will recruit on to each course in 2012-13."

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.