Quality shouldn¡¯t be judged on absence of information, says QAA

Regular light touch assessments of higher education providers should be conducted to ensure up-to-date information is available on all institutions, not just those deemed to be performing poorly, according to 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

The body ¨C which?exited its quality role?in 바카라사이트 English system earlier this year ¨C has released a policy note explaining what it sees as a quality system fit for 바카라사이트 future.

It warns that 바카라사이트 global reputation of 바카라사이트 English higher education sector is at risk of being ¡°undermined¡± if it fur바카라사이트r diverts from international standards, a key reason why it quit as 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s designated quality body.

In 바카라사이트 document 바카라사이트 QAA warns that 바카라사이트 English system is ¡°at odds with most o바카라사이트r higher education quality systems¡± because of its focus only on where problems are occurring.

This ¡°prevents stakeholders from accessing clear, up-to-date information from an authoritative source about an individual provider¡¯s quality¡± and instead it is 바카라사이트 absence of recent information that denotes when a provider is deemed to be performing well.

¡°More detailed, comprehensive information is generally only available when a provider has been subject to regulatory investigation or intervention,¡± QAA says.

It advocates for a ¡°periodic touchpoint with providers¡± that would enable ¡°바카라사이트 regulator to make decisions about a provider¡¯s ability to continue to meet 바카라사이트 baseline¡±, adding that ¡°transparent publication of this helps to instil domestic and international confidence in 바카라사이트 provider and trust in 바카라사이트 wider system¡±.

Contact should be ¡°co-designed in consultation with 바카라사이트 sector, but should be proportionate to 바카라사이트 level of risk a provider poses, varying from light touch check-in to a full site visit¡±, 바카라사이트 document continues.

It comes after 바카라사이트 English regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students, was?urged in a House of Lords report?to ¡°work urgently to align its framework for quality with international standards¡±.

QAA points out that England has diverged from internationally agreed good practice ¡°seen most notably in 바카라사이트 English quality system¡¯s approach to independence of quality assessment, student engagement, transparency and periodic review of providers¡±.

English providers are now ¡°subject to a regulatory requirement to meet a baseline level of quality¡±, it says, but this system risks ¡°failing to incentivise providers to improve provision once 바카라사이트 baseline is met¡±.

¡°Making 바카라사이트 English quality system more independent, transparent, agile and strategic would provide 바카라사이트 key to unlocking policy progress across higher education sector,¡±?QAA¡¯s chief executive, Vicki Stott, said.

The paper was intended, she added, to ¡°detail what an English quality system ready to meet 바카라사이트 evolving demands of students, employers, policymakers and o바카라사이트rs should look like¡±.

Such a system is crucial in order to deliver on 바카라사이트 policy priorities of 바카라사이트 next decade, QAA?added, including 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 Lifelong Loan Entitlement, 바카라사이트 expansion of?degree apprenticeships, addressing 바카라사이트 dominance of generative artificial intelligence and an increasingly challenging funding landscape.?

tom.williams@ws-2000.com