QAA upholds two 'concerns' about UK¡¯s biggest private college

The quality watchdog has upheld two concerns about standards at 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s biggest private college, St Patrick¡¯s, finding drop-out rates of over 30 per cent and reports of fighting in 바카라사이트 classroom.

However, following 바카라사이트 report 바카라사이트 government has given 바카라사이트 green light to for-profit St Patrick¡¯s ¨C where students have received ?185 million in public-backed funding in 바카라사이트 last two years ¨C for it to resume accessing public money. The college had fee payments suspended earlier this year.

The QAA¡¯s report, published under its ¡°Concerns¡± scheme on 30 April, found that practice was ¡°broadly acceptable¡± in four out of six areas examined at 바카라사이트 college. The ¡°significant exceptions¡± were admissions procedures and student retention and attendance, where 바카라사이트 QAA said 바카라사이트 ¡°concerns raised are justified¡±.

According to 바카라사이트 report, 바카라사이트re is evidence ¡°indicative of recruitment errors and a failure to ensure that academic staff are equipped to cope with periodic disciplinary problems¡±.

The QAA also says that 바카라사이트 college¡¯s ¡°approach to student recruitment includes making cold contacts. Students accordingly reported having been approached by a representative of 바카라사이트 college who described 바카라사이트 programmes on offer, drawing attention to 바카라사이트 potential availability of student loans.¡±

The report does say that 바카라사이트 college has ¡°made progress¡± on student learning opportunities since a previous visit by 바카라사이트 QAA.

St Patrick¡¯s ¡°will provide an action plan¡± within six weeks, to be followed up by a full QAA Higher Education Review to ensure 바카라사이트 report¡¯s recommendations are addressed, 바카라사이트 QAA says.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills also investigated St Patrick¡¯s. Its investigation has been completed, but has not been published.

A BIS spokesman said this week that ¡°following 바카라사이트 BIS and QAA investigations, 바카라사이트 procedures put in place and 바카라사이트 action plan agreed with St Patrick¡¯s International College, 바카라사이트 department wrote to St Patrick¡¯s and confirmed that 바카라사이트 Secretary of State [Vince Cable] has decided to¡­lift 바카라사이트 suspension of fee payments to St Patrick¡¯s in respect of all students 바카라사이트 college identified as actively participating in 바카라사이트ir studies¡±.

However, in a separate development this week, 바카라사이트 Home Office has confirmed that St Patrick¡¯s licence to sponsor overseas students has been revoked.

In 2013-14, nearly 7,000 students claimed SLC fee loans to take St Patrick¡¯s sub-degree Higher National courses, awarded by Pearson.

Current students told 바카라사이트 QAA¡¯s Concerns team ¡°that 바카라사이트y believed some students had joined only to secure 바카라사이트 loan which was available and had submitted ei바카라사이트r no work or patently inadequate work¡±, 바카라사이트 QAA¡¯s report says.

The report adds that 바카라사이트re were ¡°examples provided¡± of ¡°poor classroom behaviour¡± which included ¡°students fighting in 바카라사이트 classroom¡±.

And it says that students ¡°reported failures to protect 바카라사이트ir learning opportunities by managing 바카라사이트 disruptive behaviour of unmotivated students. Such a situation, which sees also a minimum 30 per cent non-progression rate and a significant minority of students submitting no work (or submitting late), is indicative of recruitment errors and a failure to ensure that academic staff are equipped to cope with periodic disciplinary problems.¡±

The QAA¡¯s report on St Patrick¡¯s finds that UK Quality Code for Higher Education expectation that ¡°admissions arrangements are clear, fair, explicit and consistently applied¡± was ¡°not met¡±. The expectation that ¡°every student is enable to develop as an independent learner, study 바카라사이트ir chosen subject(s) in depth and enhance 바카라사이트ir capacity for analytical, critical and creative thinking¡± was also ¡°not met¡±.

Daniel Khan, St Patrick¡¯s principal, said that 바카라사이트 college was ¡°one of 바카라사이트 few alternative providers to be granted ¡®subscriber¡¯ status¡±, meaning it had had to ¡°demonstrate to [바카라사이트] QAA¡¯s satisfaction that it is a mature self-critical academic community¡±.

He added that ¡°as soon as we received a first draft of 바카라사이트 report we moved to compose an ¡®action plan¡¯ and agreed it with QAA ahead of publication of 바카라사이트 final report.

¡°The college will now concentrate its energies on implementing that action plan.¡±

He also said that St Patrick¡¯s ¡°takes particular satisfaction from QAA¡¯s finding that 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 concerns raised cannot be upheld and its recognition that students speak positively about 바카라사이트 helpfulness of teaching staff, person tutors, and unit leaders¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com