Light-touch rules could quickly become heavy

That is one of 바카라사이트 findings of a report from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, published on 10 November, that looks specifically at 바카라사이트 recent White Paper proposals to cut bureaucratic oversight for institutions deemed to be low risk.

In 바카라사이트 study, Roger King, a research associate at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics' Centre for Analysis of Risk and Regulation, suggests that competition for student places is likely to encourage more risk-taking among universities.

"Some institutions may become particularly vulnerable to 바카라사이트 continual loss of student numbers, and this may lead to riskier behaviour by those deemed originally as 'low risk'," he says in The Risks of Risk-based Regulation: The Regulatory Challenges of 바카라사이트 Higher Education White Paper for England.

He adds that such universities might need to take action to counter a loss of income, which "could take 바카라사이트 form of significant cost-cutting in budgets for 바카라사이트 institutional assurance of standards".

Professor King argues that universities might also be tempted into "risky entrepreneurial behaviour" by chasing high tuition fees from unregulated markets such as international students, but without 바카라사이트 safeguards to maintain quality.

Such developments would increase 바카라사이트 danger of a major scandal with 바카라사이트 potential to damage 바카라사이트 reputation of English higher education, leading to doubts about 바카라사이트 efficacy of a risk-based system among 바카라사이트 very people proposing it - politicians.

"Scandal or failure can quickly turn such stakeholders away from risk-based regulation and back towards more uniform and standardised compliance models," he suggests.

Professor King adds that 바카라사이트 government's mantra of "championing" students as consumers sits "uneasily" with a light-touch approach and warns that 바카라사이트 proposals appear "out of kilter" with 바카라사이트 wider agreements on quality assurance contained in 바카라사이트 Bologna Process.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com.