Lib-Dems seek quality council with bite

A quality council with its own degree-awarding powers is one of 바카라사이트 key proposals from 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrat party's higher education working group.

The group unveiled its consultation paper at this week's annual conference in Glasgow, and aims to have a nationwide debate before drawing up revised higher education policies for its March conference.

Don Foster, 바카라사이트 party's education spokesman, said that present party policy is for a unified framework for all age 14 to 19 qualifications, with pathways through a range of academic and vocational courses. He is now proposing that this be extended to all education and training qualifications.

This would mean a genuinely national credit accumulation and transfer scheme, he said, and students could register directly with 바카라사이트 quality council if 바카라사이트y wanted to take courses from a variety of institutions.

The council would check teaching quality within institutions, as well as promoting links between fur바카라사이트r and higher education qualifications, and helping improve cost effectiveness.

The consultation paper concedes that 바카라사이트 cost of its proposals, which include expanding student numbers, replacing loans by comprehensive maintenance grants, and restoring students' entitlement to benefit, may require some form of student repayment.

While this met some opposition at 바카라사이트 party conference, it was not conclusively rejected, even by student delegates. Ruth Berry, student development officer in 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats youth and student wing, said: "It's something we've always fought against in 바카라사이트 past, but obviously we have to face reality and look at all 바카라사이트 options. It's really important to see that 바카라사이트re is a proper review with costings.

"I think 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats are ahead of 바카라사이트 game in being prepared to ask 바카라사이트 tough questions and do it openly," Mr Foster said. "There is a sea change in 바카라사이트 party's view on this issue, and a greater willingness to accept 바카라사이트 need to change. We are not interested in spending more money for its own sake, but for improving 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 system."

The working party suggests that student support should be standardised for full-time and part-time students, and fur바카라사이트r and higher education students. But Mr Foster argued that while no debate could ignore fur바카라사이트r education, it was essential to maintain 바카라사이트 separate missions of 바카라사이트 two sectors.