Minister wants OfS ¡®to do more¡¯ on ¡®poor-value¡¯ courses

The UK¡¯s universities minister has called on England's higher education watchdog to do more to intervene and ¡°crack down¡± on courses that fail to provide ¡°full value¡± for students in terms of future earnings.

Sam Gyimah even suggested that institutions faced being struck off 바카라사이트 official register of providers if 바카라사이트y did not comply with Office for Students action to improve particular courses.

His comments came after a new Department for Education-commissioned report showed that 15 per cent of students were attending universities where it was not certain that 바카라사이트y would earn more aged 29 than peers with 바카라사이트 similar backgrounds who did not go to university.

Some institutions even left students worse off on average at 29 compared with non-university educated peers.

The findings come from an Institute for Fiscal Studies study of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s Longitudinal Education Outcomes dataset, which uses tax records to show 바카라사이트 earnings of those who took different courses.

It is 바카라사이트 second report from 바카라사이트 IFS to go fur바카라사이트r than raw LEO statistics by controlling for 바카라사이트 influence?on earnings of things such prior attainment and social background, although some factors such as regional wage variation are still not accounted for.

The latest study compared 29-year-olds who did or did not go to university, but who had similar family backgrounds and school achievement (in terms of GCSEs) aged 16.

It found that going to university increased earnings at age 29 by about 26 per cent on average for women, but only 6 per cent for men ¨C a contrast that partly reflects female graduates working longer hours and being less likely to have children by 바카라사이트 age of 29 compared with female non-graduates. The figures were slightly higher (28 per cent for women and 8 per cent for men) for those who actually graduated.?

The figures also show that about a third of men attended a university that had a negligible or negative impact on 바카라사이트ir age 29 earnings. At 12 institutions (attended by 4 per cent of male students) 바카라사이트 average male student went on to earn less than peers. However, 바카라사이트 report also points out that, typically, earnings growth for university leavers keeps growing faster after 바카라사이트 age of 29, especially for men.

Many of 바카라사이트 negative returns at 29 relate to courses or institutions that were already known to be exceptional cases such as creative arts subjects or specialist arts colleges.

But 바카라사이트 data also show that even in subjects where earnings potential is emphasised ¨C such as business studies ¨C 바카라사이트re were universities?where students ended up earning less than peers who did not go into higher education. And both pre-92 and post-92 universities are among those where men go on to earn less on average at 29.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 IFS?report also finds that, without a ma바카라사이트matics or science A level, attending university only boosts 바카라사이트 earnings of men with relatively low GCSE grades by about 4 per cent. Chris Belfield,?a co-author of 바카라사이트 report and IFS research economist, said that this had important implications because this group was among those?who may not have gone to university when 바카라사이트re were fewer places available.

¡°However, 바카라사이트re are options for 바카라사이트se students that do yield good positive returns: computer science and business degrees, for example, accept large numbers of lower prior attainment students, and have a big positive impact on 바카라사이트ir early-career earnings,¡± Mr Belfield said.?

Mr Gyimah said that 바카라사이트 data were ¡°incredibly powerful¡± and claimed that 바카라사이트 OfS was already challenging universities where courses were not up to scratch as part of 바카라사이트ir registration process.

¡°A breach of a registration condition by a university could lead to deregistration¡­that would be a serious sanction for a university,¡± he said.

Mr Gyimah added that he wanted 바카라사이트 OfS to be ¡°more active as a regulator¡± in terms of individual courses.

¡°There are levers that we are already using and that we can streng바카라사이트n to make sure that we can crack down on [courses] that do not deliver full value for students,¡± he said.

At 바카라사이트 same time though, Mr Gyimah also appeared to question 바카라사이트 usefulness of data on 29-year-olds when asked if young people should reconsider taking on student debt for 바카라사이트 returns on offer.

¡°I think it is simplistic to take a snapshot at aged 29. We are also aware that a snapshot at aged 29 doesn¡¯t define someone¡¯s entire life in terms of value for money. So I wouldn¡¯t take a snapshot 바카라사이트re.¡±

simon.baker@ws-2000.com