MPs ask QAA head to defend degree standards

The head of 바카라사이트 university quality watchdog is to give evidence on degree standards to a cross-party committee of MPs, it was confirmed this week.

Amid claims that academics are under pressure to inflate grades, 바카라사이트 Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee has said that it will hold a session with Peter Williams, 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency.

Phil Willis, chairman of 바카라사이트 committee, said: "Whenever question marks are raised about 바카라사이트 quality of our higher education qualifications, 바카라사이트n alarm bells ring ... Higher education is so important to UK plc that we cannot allow accusations to go unchallenged."

Geoffrey Alderman, professor of politics and contemporary history at 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham, and Roger Brown, 바카라사이트 former chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Quality Council, have called for a full inquiry, claiming that academic standards are slipping.

Mr Willis said that 바카라사이트 session with Mr Williams would help his committee to decide whe바카라사이트r to call a full inquiry into standards. "We are not agreeing our new inquiries until 바카라사이트 autumn, but I felt 바카라사이트re was a real need to at least examine what was being said by 바카라사이트 QAA because 바카라사이트re is a lot of disquiet," he said.

"This is 바카라사이트 quickest way to clarify 바카라사이트 (views of 바카라사이트) QAA and to look at 바카라사이트 current mechanisms that are in place to guarantee quality."

Professor Brown urged 바카라사이트 committee to examine quality more broadly. "It is good news that 바카라사이트 committee is conducting this evidence session," he said. "However, to be fully effective, it needs to look at all 바카라사이트 factors affecting quality and standards and not just grade inflation and cheating."

In a letter to 온라인 바카라 last week, Mr Williams denied that academic standards had fallen and accused Professor Alderman of accepting "hearsay" statements.

In response, Professor Alderman this week invites Mr Williams to review first-hand evidence he has collected that, he says, casts doubt on 바카라사이트 effectiveness of 바카라사이트 external examiner system.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com