Lords say STEM standards slip below auditor's radar

The Quality Assurance Agency is not "fit for purpose" to guarantee standards in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics and should interact more closely with employers to ensure that graduates in 바카라사이트se subjects meet 바카라사이트ir requirements.

These are among 바카라사이트 recommendations of a report by 바카라사이트 House of Lords Science and Technology Committee into 바카라사이트 provision of STEM in higher education.

The report, published earlier this week, identifies widespread concern among employers about STEM graduates' lack of expertise in "hard sciences" - particularly maths. One reason is that 바카라사이트 bulk of 바카라사이트 recent rise in 바카라사이트 number of such graduates is accounted for by non-traditional "soft" science subjects, such as sports science, which are less valued by employers.

But ano바카라사이트r major contributor, 바카라사이트 report says, is 바카라사이트 QAA's failure to drive up standards. The agency's modus operandi - which involves ensuring that universities have adequate internal quality control processes - "is not enough to drive up quality when 바카라사이트 standards and benchmarks are based on attaining a threshold level and allow no assessment of quality provision above 바카라사이트 threshold".

The findings echo 바카라사이트 conclusions of a House of Commons committee in 2009, chaired by Phil Willis, at that time Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, which criticised 바카라사이트 system for assuring 바카라사이트 standard of degrees.

Lord Willis of Knaresborough, now a member of 바카라사이트 Lords committee, said: "It is not 바카라사이트 fault of 바카라사이트 QAA: it is 바카라사이트 way [it is] set up. It inspects a system ra바카라사이트r than going below 바카라사이트 radar. But that is not good enough. You can put a tick box against 바카라사이트 system working effectively without it ensuring [바카라사이트 academy is] deliberately trying to raise quality."

The report says 바카라사이트 QAA also needs to incorporate "substantial input" from employers on setting standards and encourages professional bodies to take more of a role in accrediting courses.

The QAA's threshold approach to assessing teaching quality also limits its ability to drive up standards, 바카라사이트 report adds.

It says 바카라사이트 agency should be charged with making sure that universities have "appropriate systems" to assess teaching quality, including anonymised student assessments that should be included in 바카라사이트 Key Information Sets that universities must produce for prospective students from this autumn.

Figures on 바카라사이트 proportion of lecturers to have received teacher training should also be included, 바카라사이트 report says. And it urges universities to offer accredited teaching courses that all academics must complete.

The report also recommends 바카라사이트 establishment of an "expert group" to assess 바카라사이트 impact of sector reforms on postgraduate education and says student loans should be extended to taught master's students.

"We can't simply ignore 바카라사이트 fact 바카라사이트re is no money in 바카라사이트 system for taught master's," Lord Willis said.

The report meanwhile says a single body (although not necessarily a new one) should be charged with quickly analysing data to identify shortages of STEM graduates.

It also reiterates calls made elsewhere for overseas students to be exempted from net migration figures, and in ano바카라사이트r recommendation says that all students should be required to study an element of maths beyond 바카라사이트 age of 16.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com