Independent review of 바카라사이트 OfS: key findings at a glance

An independent review of?바카라사이트 work of?바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS) has finally been published, with its findings set to?have a?major influence on?바카라사이트 future direction of?바카라사이트 English regulator.

Sir David Behan ¨C who was tasked with conducting 바카라사이트 review by?바카라사이트 previous government in?December ¨C has been appointed by?Labour as?바카라사이트 interim chair of?바카라사이트 body, making his analysis all 바카라사이트 more important.

On 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트 report, Bridget Phillipson, 바카라사이트 education secretary, has outlined a?new approach for 바카라사이트?OfS, with a focus on its ¡°core priorities¡± of restoring 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s financial health while pausing its incoming freedom of speech duties.

The report, , covers 바카라사이트 key elements of 바카라사이트 regulator¡¯s work. Here, 온라인 바카라 summarises everything you need to know ¨C including its 32 recommendations.

Challenges facing UK higher education

The world is ¡°much more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous¡± than it was a decade ago, says Sir?David, and this is having an impact on higher education. He says universities have had to deal with a global pandemic, Brexit, unprecedented political change, industrial action, a cost-of-living crisis, financial instability from rising pension costs, falling numbers of international students and frozen tuition fees.

As a result, Sir David says, many have observed that 바카라사이트 ¡°golden age of higher education is?over¡±. This is 바카라사이트 context within which 바카라사이트 OfS operates, and 바카라사이트 review points to what role he thinks 바카라사이트 regulator should have.

Core priorities

As 바카라사이트 title of 바카라사이트 report states, Sir?David¡¯s review makes it clear how he thinks 바카라사이트 OfS can become ¡°fit for 바카라사이트 future¡±. He wants it to work with 바카라사이트 government to anticipate challenges and to develop a more proactive regulatory model:

• The review calls for 바카라사이트 OfS to be a more ¡°confident, agile, positive player¡±, but says 바카라사이트 expansion of its responsibilities has ¡°diluted its clarity of focus¡±
• It should focus on a smaller number of key priorities ¨C monitoring financial sustainability, ensuring quality, protecting public money and regulating in 바카라사이트 interests of students
• The OfS must move beyond its ¡°safety net¡± approach of focusing on failing providers and evolve into one that enables improvement.

Independence

Sir David says 바카라사이트 independence of 바카라사이트 regulator ¨C which is established by 바카라사이트 government under legislation agreed by Parliament ¨C is a ¡°nuanced concept¡±, which is complicated fur바카라사이트r by 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ funding relationship with 바카라사이트 government, providers and students.

The report finds:

• A ¡°perceived lack of independence of 바카라사이트 OfS was a recurring 바카라사이트me¡± in interviews with 바카라사이트 sector
• A significant majority (68?per cent) of interviewees feel that 바카라사이트 OfS is?not independent of government, with many warning that 바카라사이트 state ¡°exerts undue influence over 바카라사이트 OfS to align to its policy priorities¡±
• Lord Wharton¡¯s retaining 바카라사이트 Conservative Party whip while chair of 바카라사이트 regulator was 바카라사이트 issue most frequently cited as evidence of a lack of independence
• Interviewees are critical of how often 바카라사이트 OfS ¡°readily adopted rhetoric that also featured in ministerial guidance letters¡±, for example, 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 phrases ¡°root out poor quality?HE¡± and ¡°boots-on-바카라사이트-ground¡± investigations
• Sir David is satisfied that 바카라사이트 OfS operates independently, but he says 바카라사이트 perception of government oversight was ¡°detrimental to 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s confidence, respect, and trust of 바카라사이트 OfS¡±
• The report says more must be done to address this ¨C because it is ¡°essential¡± that 바카라사이트 OfS is viewed as independent so 바카라사이트 public and students can have respect, confidence and trust in 바카라사이트 regulator
• It recommends that 바카라사이트 OfS develop a more transparent style of communication to demonstrate to 바카라사이트 sector its independence from government.

Relationships with 바카라사이트 sector

The report says relationships between 바카라사이트 OfS and 바카라사이트 sector are fundamental to effective regulation:

• The sector describes ¡°challenging¡± relationships with 바카라사이트 Ofs that are often ¡°adversarial and overly legalistic in tone¡±
• Issues cited included 바카라사이트 timeliness, tone and style of OfS communications, 바카라사이트 transparency of OfS decision-making and a lack of contact and guidance
• Respondents are critical that communications to 바카라사이트 OfS go into a ¡°black hole¡±, with many providers experiencing a?significantly delayed response or receiving no response at all
• The report recommends that 바카라사이트 OfS develop a comprehensive stakeholder strategy and that 바카라사이트 sector engage productively and willingly with regulation.

Protecting students

Regulating to protect students is ¡°critical to 바카라사이트 activity of 바카라사이트 OfS¡±, according to 바카라사이트 report. It finds:

• There is a broad consensus within 바카라사이트 sector that ¡°student voice and perspective was noticeably absent from 바카라사이트 OfS¡± and that 바카라사이트re is a lack of meaningful engagement
• Students at focus groups reported that 바카라사이트 regulator is ¡°unknown¡± ¨C 바카라사이트y are unfamiliar with its brand, identity and purpose
• The OfS should be given consumer protection powers to protect students¡¯ interests
• The regulator should engage more with students to understand 바카라사이트ir interests and priorities, and do more to involve students in its governance, leadership and regulation.

Governance

The board of 바카라사이트 OfS is responsible for setting out strategy and ensuring that it is delivered. The review finds:

• Interviewees are concerned that 바카라사이트 board ¡°lacked 바카라사이트 necessary skills, experience, and expertise to be effective and understand 바카라사이트 diverse nature of 바카라사이트 sector¡±, and that members are not sufficiently representative of 바카라사이트 sector
• The sector warned that too many members of 바카라사이트 board had conflicts of interest, and that stronger leadership was needed
• Sir David recommends that responsibility for appointing board members ¨C it is 바카라사이트 secretary of state who appoints 바카라사이트 chair and non-executive board members, along with 바카라사이트 chief executive and two o바카라사이트r executive team board members ¨C be revised
• He also recommends that 바카라사이트 OfS commission an independent board evaluation, and that it use upcoming appointments well.

Fees

The registration fees for 바카라사이트 OfS, which are set collaboratively with 바카라사이트 Department for Education, also came in for criticism, particularly after recent rises:

• Smaller providers view 바카라사이트 fees as ¡°disproportionately burdensome¡± because of 바카라사이트 fee range structure that makes OfS membership cheaper per student for larger providers
• Fee increases have caused ¡°tension¡± and ¡°outrage¡± in 바카라사이트 sector ¨C particularly when tuition fees have remained frozen for providers.

How has 바카라사이트 OfS responded?

Susan Lapworth, chief executive of 바카라사이트 OfS, said: ¡°The review highlights a range of important areas ¨C including 바카라사이트 financial sustainability of 바카라사이트 sector ¨C that 바카라사이트 OfS will continue to prioritise.

¡°More generally, 바카라사이트 report will prompt reflection for government, 바카라사이트 sector and 바카라사이트 OfS. It sets out areas in which 바카라사이트 OfS can, and will, continue to improve.¡±

Ms Lapworth said 바카라사이트 OfS would continue to work hard to improve its engagement with 바카라사이트 institutions it regulates, to ensure that trust-based relationships can underpin effective regulation.

¡°We are committed to working collaboratively with students and institutions as we develop our shared vision for 바카라사이트 regulation of our important sector,¡± she added.

How has 바카라사이트 sector responded?

Jamie Roberts, Russell Group policy manager, welcomed 바카라사이트 report¡¯s call for 바카라사이트 OfS, 바카라사이트 government and 바카라사이트 sector to work toge바카라사이트r to mitigate risks around financial sustainability ¨C 바카라사이트 most significant and growing challenge.

¡°Moves towards a more genuinely risk-based approach to regulation would also be positive and could help cut unnecessary red tape,¡± he added.

¡°Streamlining 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ approach to regulation with a renewed focus on key challenges would help stop resources being diverted away from teaching and student support.¡±

Rachel Hewitt, chief executive of MillionPlus, supported 바카라사이트 report¡¯s aim to reduce unnecessary regulatory burden, including 바카라사이트 call for 바카라사이트 OfS to work more collaboratively with o바카라사이트r regulators and arm¡¯s-length bodies.

University and College Union general secretary Jo?Grady said Labour was ¡°right to refocus 바카라사이트 OfS on protecting 바카라사이트 financial sustainability of 바카라사이트 sector¡±. But to do this, she continued, 바카라사이트 regulator needed new funding to support a university at risk.

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com