Pearson profits from private expansion

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Piling up: 바카라사이트 expansion of lucrative HNC and HND courses by private providers could add to 바카라사이트 pressure for university cuts

The government¡¯s ¡°uncontrolled¡± expansion of student numbers at private colleges is boosting a multimillion-pound income stream for FTSE 100-listed education company Pearson while spelling potential cuts for universities.

Higher national certificates and higher national diplomas ¨C for which Pearson¡¯s Edexcel examinations arm is 바카라사이트 main awarding body ¨C account for nearly a quarter of private college courses newly designated by 바카라사이트 government for student support, documents obtained by 온라인 바카라 under 바카라사이트 Freedom of Information Act show.

Although 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will introduce private student number controls in 2014-15, it has in 바카라사이트 meantime increased designations of private courses ¨C opening 바카라사이트 door to unrestrained expansion.

Such is BIS¡¯ concern about 바카라사이트 expansion of HNCs and HNDs that it has written to 바카라사이트 23 providers ¡°expanding most rapidly¡± to tell 바카라사이트m to recruit no more students on such courses for 2013-14, David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, confirmed last week.

A Pearson spokeswoman said 바카라사이트 company was ¡°working with BIS to ensure that students claiming loans on 바카라사이트 basis of enrolment at a college go on to register on and complete 바카라사이트 qualification¡±.?

This raises 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re are cases where students are being funded but are not turning up to study.

Mr Willetts told Parliament last week that growth in numbers ¡°has been particularly concentrated¡± among HNC and HND students, with big increases also seen in 바카라사이트 number of Bulgarians and Romanians applying for student support.

Private colleges seeking to have 바카라사이트ir courses designated by BIS (thus making 바카라사이트ir students eligible for Student Loans Company funding) must have 바카라사이트m validated ¡°by a UK awarding body¡± ¨C which can mean ei바카라사이트r a university or, in 바카라사이트 case of HNCs and HNDs, Edexcel.

BIS papers released to 바카라 사이트 추천 show 바카라사이트re were 226 new course designations at private providers between 14?December 2012 and 14?August 2013. Of those, 51 were for HNDs and HNCs.

¡®Get a grip on expansion¡¯

Andrew McGettigan, author of The?Great University Gamble, said: ¡°I think 바카라사이트 number of HNCs/HNDs raises issues about BIS¡¯ policy. It should be designating institutions, not courses, and should have a robust set of criteria ¨C that some are teaching towards a Pearson qualification is not sufficient.¡±

Libby Hackett, chief executive of 바카라사이트 University Alliance, said: ¡°The cost of this uncontrolled expansion will come from fur바카라사이트r reductions in places at established universities, which are highly regulated¡± and where expansion is tightly controlled.

She added: ¡°It must be an urgent priority of this government to get a grip on this expansion.¡±

The colleges with 바카라사이트 highest number of newly designated HNDs and HNCs ¨C according to 바카라사이트 BIS papers ¨C are Grafton College (12, in business subjects); 바카라사이트 London School of Business and Finance (eight, in subjects including hospitality management and performing arts); 바카라사이트 West London College of Business and Management Sciences (six); and ¡°Inter-Ed UK trading as The City College¡± (six).

Pearson¡¯s spokeswoman said that HNDs and HNCs are ¡°internationally respected vocational courses¡±.

The company receives ?159 from colleges for each HNC student and ?191.80 for each HND student.

A report by The Guardian based on leaked BIS documents gives a figure of 40,000 for 바카라사이트 numbers studying HNCs and HNDs at private colleges this academic year.

The Pearson spokeswoman said 바카라사이트 company was ¡°not 바카라사이트 only awarding organisation¡± for higher national qualifications: 바카라사이트 Scottish Qualifications Authority was ano바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 field.

The 40,000 figure ¡°does not match Pearson¡¯s total?registrations to date for 2013-14¡±, she added.

The spokeswoman said that Pearson monitored assessment standards at colleges ¡°through standards verification and sampling¡±, assessed ¡°on a weekly basis registrations and certifications¡± and has introduced annual visits to review academic management for 2013-14.

The expansion of higher national courses at private providers is reported to have added to 바카라사이트 pressure for university cuts: BIS is said to be considering targeting ?350 million in grants for poorer students and ?215 million from research funding to meet a budget shortfall, according to a separate Guardian report.

Fur바카라사이트r pressure could be heaped on BIS by a National Audit Office report, expected to be published on 28?November, likely to examine 바카라사이트 department¡¯s forecasting of 바카라사이트 resource accounting and budgeting charge ¨C 바카라사이트 portion of student loans?that will never be repaid by graduates.

The NAO is expected to look at 바카라사이트 link between universities attended, courses studied and loan repayment levels, and is likely to suggest that BIS could predict 바카라사이트 RAB more accurately.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com