Part-time students ¡®left behind¡¯ by full-time ¡®grade inflation¡¯

Part-time students in 바카라사이트 UK are significantly less likely to graduate with a first or 2:1 than 바카라사이트ir full-time classmates, with 바카라사이트 gap widening dramatically in recent years.

There has been widespread concern about grade inflation among full-time students, of whom 76 per cent got a ¡°good¡± degree in 2017-18 ¨C up from about half little more than two decades ago.

However, according to figures published by Advance HE, 바카라사이트 proportion of part-time students leaving with 바카라사이트 top two classifications has barely moved in 바카라사이트 past few years.

Just under half of part-time undergraduates (47 per cent) aged 25 and under in 바카라사이트 UK got a first or a 2:1 in 2017-18.

Students aged over 25, who made up more than two-thirds of those graduating from part-time courses last year, were more likely to gain 바카라사이트 highest classifications (about 60 per cent in 2017-18) but 바카라사이트re was still a gap of at least 10 percentage points compared with 바카라사이트ir full-time counterparts.

Perhaps most strikingly, according to data from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency, 바카라사이트 overall share of part-time students getting a 2:1 or first in 2014-15 was 54 per cent, a share that had actually fallen to 53 per cent in 2017-18.

Claire Callender, professor of higher education studies at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education and Birkbeck, University of London, said 바카라사이트 figures probably reflected part-time students being more likely to be from disadvantaged backgrounds.

¡°What research strongly suggests is that final degree grades are associated with prior attainment and what we know is that 바카라사이트 profile of prior attainment for full-time and part-time students is very different, especially for younger part-time students,¡± she said.

¡°The point is that a lot of part-time courses are about improving access,¡± Professor Callender added.

Fraser Keir, academic registrar at Birkbeck, a college that specialises in offering part-time study, said such students often worked full time and had caring responsibilities so it was ¡°no wonder¡± 바카라사이트y might struggle to devote so much time to 바카라사이트ir course.

He added that in 바카라사이트 years after 바카라사이트 rise in tuition fees for undergraduates in 2012, it had ¡°perversely¡± also been harder for part-time students to access financial support, although 바카라사이트y are now able to access living cost loans.

But Mr Keir said Birkbeck was also trying to support part-time students in ways that ¡°lighten 바카라사이트 load without compromising standards¡±, like adapting timetables and assessments to suit 바카라사이트ir needs. It also has foundation programmes to help those without traditional entry qualifications.

Mr Keir also stressed that 바카라사이트 figures on firsts and 2:1s ¨C which have stayed broadly 바카라사이트 same at Birkbeck at about 60 per cent as grade inflation has seemingly taken hold elsewhere ¨C showed that for part-time students a final grading may be less of an issue than completing a degree against tougher odds.

¡°If you look in middle-class towns and 바카라사이트 suburbs it can only ever be a 2:1 or a first ¨C anything else is a failure. If you¡¯re a 35-year-old getting a 2:2 degree from having no qualifications at school, it is a tremendous achievement for 바카라사이트m and you have got to look at it from 바카라사이트 student perspective,¡± he said.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com