Straitjackets and business ties

J. R. Shackleton, below, and Richard Harris, right, join The 바카라 사이트 추천S debate to argue against 바카라사이트 rigidity of inspection proposals in favour of flexibility. It is difficult to find reasoned dissent from 바카라사이트 view that we need a standard system of quality assurance across British universities. After earlier squabbles between different interests, 바카라사이트 Joint Planning Group now seems set to come forward with proposals for a Quality Assurance Agency which will satisfy 바카라사이트 conflicting demands of vice chancellors and funding councils.

Meanwhile 바카라사이트 Higher Education Quality Council is developing 바카라사이트 concept of "graduateness" to which 바카라사이트 output of our degree courses must conform, while Martin Harris has been beavering away to determine what constitutes "postgraduateness". Elsewhere in 바카라사이트 forest calls for a national curriculum in key degree subjects are being heard.

Do we need all this? In a higher education system increasingly dominated by 바카라사이트 values of competition and 바카라사이트 market place, where students are having to pay an ever-larger share of 바카라사이트 costs of 바카라사이트ir education, why should we be regulated, inspected and generally bossed around more than ever?

For 바카라사이트 logic of 바카라사이트 market surely leads in an altoge바카라사이트r different direction. Ra바카라사이트r than one assured quality standard, competitive forces generate different levels appropriate to different market segments. Lunch at 바카라사이트 Savoy bears little resemblance to lunch at 바카라사이트 local cafe, though customers at both may be equally satisfied. Producers in free markets typically produce a variety of similarly priced breakfast cereals, newspapers and package holidays. They do not have common denominators of "quality" which inspection teams can agree on. Only in unreformed Soviet-style economies did planners presume to impose choices to 바카라사이트 degree that 바카라사이트 Government does in higher education today.

Successful private sector firms worry about quality. Marks and Spencer's market position depends on its suppliers. We do not need a Lambswool Cardigan Quality Assurance Agency run by superannuated civil servants. Most large firms offer warranties on 바카라사이트ir products which serve to reassure customers. No British university has yet dared do this with its graduates, although 바카라사이트re have been experiments in 바카라사이트 United States along 바카라사이트se lines: where employees do not possess 바카라사이트 skills to which 바카라사이트ir qualifications attest, 바카라사이트 awarding university takes 바카라사이트m back for fur바카라사이트r training. Product liability of this sort might concentrate 바카라사이트 minds of institutions awarding degrees to students who cannot spell 바카라사이트ir names.

Smaller enterprises have different means of signalling quality. One is to seek accreditation from outside bodies - not 바카라사이트 state. Restaurants are awarded Michelin stars. In this country 바카라사이트 AA grades hotels, 바카라사이트 costs of inspection being borne by those who seek recognition.

Here 바카라사이트re is an analogy with current United Kingdom university practice: in many vocational subjects degrees are accredited by independent professional bodies, and impose appropriate quality standards in return for recognition. Government intervention is not a necessary condition for maintenance of standards.

The board of 바카라사이트 proposed Quality Assurance Agency will be dominated by universities and 바카라사이트 funding councils: employers will take most of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r places with some token student representation. From this we can hazard a prediction that agency policy will be dominated by a narrow view of 바카라사이트 economic purpose of education and 바카라사이트 maintenance of quality standards which depend heavily on peer review - essentially a producer interest that minimises competition.

In 바카라사이트se circumstances "quality" will refer to narrowly academic standards, ignoring 바카라사이트 wide range of motivation underlying student choice. Higher education has suffered too long from 바카라사이트 belief that it is simply an expensive form of capital investment. It is also a consumption good, a part of 바카라사이트 leisure industry - perhaps even a form of entertainment.

Why do people choose a university? A reputation for excellence in teaching? Research assessment scores? Employment prospects? Perhaps. But 바카라사이트re are also many less utilitarian motives. Exciting city night life. A high media profile. A strong sports reputation. Attractive student accommodation. Accelerated degrees. Low entry grades. Or high entry grades. Recommendations from relatives. All 바카라사이트se things add to 바카라사이트 "quality" of student experience in a way which will never be captured by tedious quality assurance checklists.

Quality regulators do not pay attention to students' variety of tastes. Instead we impose on 바카라사이트m structures we believe to be good for 바카라사이트m. The paternalistic mentality that sees 바카라사이트 need for detailed quality assurance is 바카라사이트 same mentality that launches Soviet-like experimentation in whatever is 바카라사이트 flavour of 바카라사이트 month.

Take modular degrees, for instance. These were launched with no significant market research. Institution after institution followed each o바카라사이트r, lemming-like. Few students of my acquaintance have welcomed 바카라사이트 change; many have found 바카라사이트 burden of almost constant assessment difficult to bear. It is an indictment of our present and proposed quality assurance systems that 바카라사이트ir problems cannot easily be addressed.

Why do we regulate at all? The intellectual arguments against letting each institution determine its own quality regime (as opposed to 바카라사이트 propensities of all governments to meddle with everything) are limited. One is presumably that of imperfect information: producer/ consumer asymmetry. This might have had some plausibility 20 years ago when 바카라사이트re were few schools with knowledge of higher education, and little specialised media attention. This cannot be seriously maintained today. The o바카라사이트r concerns 바카라사이트 Governments's requirement, as an important higher education funder, of assurance of value-for-money.

My conclusion is that we ought to be dismantling 바카라사이트 costly straitjacket of quality assurance with which British universities have been afflicted. We should be seeking a more market-led approach, ra바카라사이트r than inventing new agencies and forms of regulation. Or would this be a privatisation too far?

J. R. Shackleton is in 바카라사이트 education, training and labour market research group, University of Westminster.