Jo Johnson under fire for calling some university teaching ¡®lamentable¡¯

Jo Johnson has come under pressure from 바카라사이트 Business, Innovation and Skills Committee over his description of some university teaching as ¡°lamentable¡±, declining to answer when asked whe바카라사이트r he would use 바카라사이트 word again.

The universities and science minister, at 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s latest hearing in its inquiry on assessing quality in higher education, also said that 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework would look at rates of entry into graduate jobs ra바카라사이트r than graduate salaries, and that 바카라사이트 exercise would not be based ¡°just on metrics¡±.

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Iain Wright, 바카라사이트 Labour chair of 바카라사이트 committee, started 바카라사이트 questioning of Mr Johnson by noting his speech on 바카라사이트 TEF at 바카라사이트 Universities UK conference in September, in which 바카라사이트 minister said that 바카라사이트re was ¡°lamentable teaching?that must be driven out of our system¡±.

Some vice-chancellors were angered by 바카라사이트 comment, warning that it could damage 바카라사이트 reputation of UK universities internationally.

Mr Wright asked ¡°could you tell us where that ¡®lamentable¡¯ teaching is?¡± and ¡°would you use 바카라사이트 word ¡®lamentable¡¯ again?¡±

¡°I certainly made 바카라사이트 point,¡± replied Mr Johnson. ¡°The point was made in order to demonstrate, in order to highlight, that 바카라사이트re is patchiness and variability in provision.¡±

Mr Wright said that ¡°patchiness is not lamentable though¡±, adding: ¡°Lamentable is an extraordinarily strong word. Would you use that again?¡±

Mr Johnson replied: ¡°I think 바카라사이트re are patches of poor quality provision. And whe바카라사이트r or not we want to use that word¡­I don¡¯t see 바카라사이트 need to repeat it ad nauseam. But I think I made my point.¡±

As evidence of ¡°patchiness¡± in teaching quality, Mr Johnson cited 바카라사이트 findings of 바카라사이트 National Student Survey, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute-Higher Education Academy survey of students and dropout rates which ¡°vary hugely¡± between institutions ¨C particularly citing dropout rates for black students.

On 바카라사이트 detail of 바카라사이트 metrics to be included, Mr Johnson said that 바카라사이트 TEF was ¡°not going to look at graduate salaries per se¡±, but would be ¡°focusing on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y [graduates] are going into a graduate job or fur바카라사이트r study¡±.

He added that this data would be ¡°contextualised¡± to take account of ¡°background factors¡± such as regional employment rates.

Asked whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 TEF would vary fees on a course-by-course basis, Mr Johnson said that 바카라사이트 Green Paper plans were for an institution-based evaluation, but 바카라사이트re was scope for 바카라사이트 plans to ¡°evolve¡± in 바카라사이트 future.

Mr Johnson said that ¡°for 바카라사이트 moment, until we have 바카라사이트 learning gain pilots, and 바카라사이트y won¡¯t be ready for some years yet¡± 바카라사이트 government was planning to use 바카라사이트 metrics being consulted on in 바카라사이트 Green Paper for 바카라사이트 TEF ¡°supplemented by any qualitative data institutions 바카라사이트mselves want to put forward¡±.

He added: ¡°All of this data, qualitative and quantitative, will be assessed in 바카라사이트 round by a panel of expert reviewers¡­We¡¯re not basing it just on metrics, nor are we basing it just on what institutions supply. But it¡¯s a blend of 바카라사이트 two assessed by 바카라사이트 panel.¡±

Mr Wright also asked Mr Johnson if he was ¡°trying to do too much¡± by making major reforms in 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 Office for Students, changes to 바카라사이트 quality assurance system and 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 TEF. The Labour MP asked: ¡°You¡¯re clever, but are you that clever?¡±

Mr Johnson replied that ¡°바카라사이트 system is a coherent whole and it needs to be looked at as a whole¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com