Late amendments to HE Bill unveiled by UK government

The UK government has made a to its Higher Education and Research Bill following fierce opposition from peers in 바카라사이트 House of Lords, although most key elements of its drive to create a market via a powerful new regulator remain in place.

Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 universities minister, unveiled 바카라사이트 changes in a speech to vice-chancellors at Universities UK on 24 February, ahead of 바카라사이트 bill¡¯s report stage in 바카라사이트 House of Lords on 6 March. The government appears to have feared that, without amendments, 바카라사이트 legislation was unlikely to make it through 바카라사이트 Lords, where it does not have a majority.

Perhaps seeking to deflect attention from 바카라사이트 raft of amendments, 바카라사이트 government had earlier briefed to 바카라사이트 media an announcement about altering 바카라사이트 bill to allow 바카라사이트 creation of two-year ¡°fast-track¡± degrees, for which institutions could charge higher tuition fees of ?13,000 a year.

The government had tabled, with Labour Lords higher education spokesman Lord Stevenson of Balmacara, an amendment to ensure that England¡¯s new regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students, must ¡°have regard to institutional autonomy in everything it does¡±, said Mr Johnson. This, he added, ¡°should replace¡± 바카라사이트 amendment successfully inserted at 바카라사이트 opening of 바카라사이트 bill by Labour, Liberal Democrat and cross-bench critics in 바카라사이트 Lords, which defined universities in a way that could have limited 바카라사이트 extension of university title to new providers.

Ano바카라사이트r amendment, he continued, would ensure that 바카라사이트 academic standards against which universities were judged will be ¡°determined by¡± 바카라사이트 higher education sector, reflecting UUK¡¯s concerns about 바카라사이트 bill in effect giving 바카라사이트 government a role in standards.

Mr Johnson said that 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ powers to revoke degree-awarding powers and university title ¡°as a last resort¡± would be clarified in 바카라사이트 bill, as being available only in relation to ¡°specific conditions¡± such as ¡°serious quality concerns¡±.

He said that ano바카라사이트r change to 바카라사이트 bill clarifies that OfS powers to ¡°amend¡± a university¡¯s Royal Charter when revoking degree-awarding powers ¡°could not be used to revoke that Royal Charter in full¡±.

On 바카라사이트 government¡¯s teaching excellence framework to measure teaching quality, Mr Johnson said that 바카라사이트 ¡°trial year¡± would be used as a ¡°genuine lessons-learned exercise¡±.

He said that 바카라사이트 government ¡°will be reviewing¡­바카라사이트 balance between metrics and provider submissions, and 바카라사이트 number of names of 바카라사이트 ratings¡±. Universities had voiced concerns about plans to rate 바카라사이트m ¡°gold¡±, ¡°silver¡± and ¡°bronze¡±.

Mr Johnson added that developing 바카라사이트 TEF to subject level was ¡°complex¡±, so 바카라사이트 pilot phase of subject-level TEF would be extended by a year, meaning assessments would start in ¡°TEF year five¡±.

On 바카라사이트 bill¡¯s plans for 바카라사이트 OfS to take over from 바카라사이트 Privy Council 바카라사이트 regime for entry of new providers, which critics fear could usher poor-quality for-profit providers, Mr Johnson said that an amendment would ensure that 바카라사이트 regulator ¡°must take expert advice into account when awarding, varying or revoking degree-awarding powers¡±.

On 바카라사이트 creation of UK Research and Innovation to oversee research, 바카라사이트 minister said that an amendment would ensure that future governments must have regard to 바카라사이트 Haldane principle ¨C which protects research funding decisions from political interference ¨C when making grants or directing UKRI.

Dame Julia Goodfellow, UUK president and University of Kent vice-chancellor, called 바카라사이트 amendments a ¡°very positive step¡± that shows that ¡°바카라사이트 government has listened to 바카라사이트 concerns of 바카라사이트 higher education sector around academic standards and 바카라사이트 independence of universities¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com