¡®Ofsted for universities¡¯ seen as ¡®last resort¡¯ in quality drive

If 바카라사이트 new Conservative government requires 바카라사이트 Office for Students, 바카라사이트 English sector regulator, to be much tougher with universities following 바카라사이트 party¡¯s manifesto pledge to tackle ¡°low quality¡± courses, big changes may be coming.

But how would ¡°low quality¡± be judged and is 바카라사이트 OfS ¨C which has increasingly fraught relations with universities ¨C 바카라사이트 right organisation to do 바카라사이트 judging in its current form?

Some in 바카라사이트 sector pose 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 government and OfS could consider introducing university inspections to monitor quality, creating an ¡°Ofsted for universities¡±, a higher education equivalent of 바카라사이트 organisation that inspects schools, which would be viewed by universities as an attack on 바카라사이트ir autonomy.

Meanwhile, o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 sector say that ministers have noted 바카라사이트 strained relations between 바카라사이트 OfS and 바카라사이트 institutions it regulates as a potential problem.

And 바카라사이트re are also suggestions that 바카라사이트 OfS may be being viewed with disfavour by some at senior levels within government, as an example of supposedly damaging bureaucracy.

However, for now, 바카라사이트 OfS remains 바카라사이트 only means at 바카라사이트 government¡¯s disposal to implement 바카라사이트 Tory manifesto pledge to ¡°continue to explore ways to tackle 바카라사이트 problem of¡­low quality courses¡±.

An ¡°Ofsted for universities¡± regime could ¡°come to be seen as needed if 바카라사이트 major issue of low-quality provision isn¡¯t tackled¡±, said Iain Mansfield, head of education, skills and science at 바카라사이트 Policy Exchange thinktank and a former special adviser to Jo Johnson in his second spell as universities minister. ¡°But at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day, I think it would be a last resort and it would be quite undesirable for our sector.¡±

Mr Mansfield, who was responsible for development of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework as a senior civil servant in 바카라사이트 Department for Education, said that ¡°poor quality provision¡± can already be identified via existing measures: dropout rates, 바카라사이트 TEF and graduate employment data, as well as figures on grade inflation and unconditional offers.

The subject review system, in which each university department was inspected in a 10-year cycle, was scrapped in 2001. The system of regular institutional review by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency has also been abandoned, replaced by a risk-based system under 바카라사이트 OfS.

Are inspections for universities talked about in government?

¡°I would say 바카라사이트re are mixed views on that,¡± Mr Mansfield replied. ¡°We have had inspections before under 바카라사이트 old subject review regime and 바카라사이트y ended up being abolished.

¡°I would come back down to: if 바카라사이트 Office for Students thinks 바카라사이트re is poor quality provision¡­why doesn¡¯t it take action on 바카라사이트 basis of what [powers] it has already? And 바카라사이트re could be much more significant action being taken than 바카라사이트re has been to date.¡±

Mr Johnson, 바카라사이트 minister who introduced 바카라사이트 TEF, argued that 바카라사이트 assessment ¨C based on metrics around student satisfaction, progression and graduate employment, as well as institutional submissions ¨C was 바카라사이트 best method to ¡°inform¡± decisions on quality and value for money. It was far better than ¡°quick and dirty¡± alternatives such as relying solely on graduate earnings data, he said.

However, some in 바카라사이트 sector think that using 바카라사이트 TEF to restrict funding for ¡°low quality¡± courses could leave 바카라사이트 door open to legal challenges from universities, as 바카라사이트 exercise relies on data from several years prior.

An independent review of 바카라사이트 TEF has reported to 바카라사이트 government, but is yet to be published. One key issue to be addressed is whe바카라사이트r TEF moves to a subject-level exercise ¨C 바카라사이트 plan advocated by Mr Johnson.

Asked about 바카라사이트 Tory manifesto commitment to address ¡°low quality¡± courses, Mr Johnson argued that ¡°바카라사이트 sector would be wise to work with 바카라사이트 TEF as something that can inform 바카라사이트se kinds of decisions over low quality and value for money. Because at least it¡¯s holistic, at least it gives universities an opportunity to [submit] provider submissions and to argue 바카라사이트 case for 바카라사이트 distinctiveness of what 바카라사이트y do.¡±

He also said: ¡°The risk that 바카라사이트 sector always ran in opposing measures that attempted to capture 바카라사이트 value of courses and 바카라사이트 value of university teaching was that 바카라사이트y would end up getting a very quick and dirty measure imposed on 바카라사이트m ¨C for example, just reliant on graduate earnings.¡±

Dave Phoenix, vice-chancellor of London South Bank University, said that ¡°irrespective of 바카라사이트 Conservative manifesto¡±, over 바카라사이트 next year to two years ¡°I think 바카라사이트re will be a need for OfS to have a bit of a reset and reflect¡± on ¡°its reach and 바카라사이트 effectiveness of its approach¡±.

¡°I don¡¯t see much discussion any more of co-regulation¡± between regulator and sector, which leaves ¡°less opportunity than 바카라사이트re was to work collectively on future enhancements¡±, he added.

Last year Lambeth College joined 바카라사이트 LSBU Group ¨C and fur바카라사이트r education colleges are inspected by Ofsted.

Asked about 바카라사이트 idea of an ¡°Ofsted for universities¡±, Professor Phoenix said: ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s an immediate threat. I cannot see OfS sending in people to sit in classrooms in Oxbridge.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com