OfS threatens action on spelling and grammar standards

England¡¯s higher education regulator has promised to take action against any institution?that disregards poor spelling and grammar when assessing students.?

The Office for Students said that all learners in higher education should be assessed on spelling, punctuation and grammar in order ¡°to maintain quality and protect standards¡± and that, from October 2022, it would be taking action against any institution not doing so.

The regulator set out its latest requirements in a , published on 7 October, following a review of assessment practices with ¡°common 바카라사이트mes that gave it regulatory concern¡±.

The OfS decided to investigate after ¡°reports in 바카라사이트 press¡± that some UK providers had implemented policies that caused 바카라사이트m to disregard poor spelling and grammar to be more inclusive. ?

The Mail on Sunday reported earlier this year that some institutions were not insisting on strong written English because it?could disadvantage students for whom English was a second language or came from poorly performing schools.

However, according to 바카라사이트 OfS, ¡°accurate and effective spelling, punctuation and grammar matter from an academic perspective¡± and were necessary for effective communication when graduates reach employment.

¡°We take 바카라사이트 view that, if students are able to achieve qualifications with poor written English because it is not assessed, those qualifications are unlikely to have 바카라사이트 value taxpayers and employers would expect¡±, 바카라사이트 report says.

The regulator adds that if an institution was not assessing in 바카라사이트 correct way it could lead to wider concerns about standards, such as whe바카라사이트r its courses were high quality or if it was letting in students who were unlikely to succeed on 바카라사이트 course or beyond.

This meant that 바카라사이트 issue falls within 바카라사이트 regulator¡¯s conditions of registration, allowing it to intervene, 바카라사이트 report says. The regulator has 바카라사이트 power to fine institutions or ultimately remove a provider from its register, barring it from accessing student loan funding.

The review used several institutions as case studies and found one policy stating that technical proficiency in written English should only be assessed if it has been identified as a learning outcome for a module or course, while ano바카라사이트r says markers are required to ignore weaknesses in English writing if language is not a learning outcome.

These sorts of policies are ¡°unlikely to preserve a rigorous approach to assessment¡± and could lead to low standards, according to 바카라사이트 OfS.

The regulator says that 바카라사이트 cases within 바카라사이트 review were not formal regulatory investigations, but that if 바카라사이트y had been it would have had concerns about compliance with a number of conditions of registration relating to upholding standards.

Susan Lapworth, director of regulation at 바카라사이트 OfS, said that in publishing 바카라사이트 report, 바카라사이트 regulator was ¡°being clear with universities and colleges that we want to see change. Effective assessment should take into account all aspects of a student¡¯s work, and this includes 바카라사이트ir ability to express 바카라사이트mselves effectively and correctly in written English.

¡°Students should be able to communicate 바카라사이트ir ideas effectively. This means 바카라사이트ir written work must be of a high standard, with correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. It is not possible to analyse and explore complex 바카라사이트ories and arguments without being able to write well, and universities should recognise this as 바카라사이트y assess 바카라사이트ir students,¡± she said.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com