TEF offers ¡®huge opportunity¡¯ to improve teaching, says OfS head

The teaching excellence framework (TEF) offers a ¡°huge opportunity to improve 바카라사이트 quality of teaching¡± in English universities, according to 바카라사이트 former Downing Street aide who will lead 바카라사이트 country¡¯s new super-regulator for higher education.

Sir Michael Barber, 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 new?Office for Students, claimed that 바카라사이트 controversial new quality assessment system offered institutions 바카라사이트 chance to make 바카라사이트ir teaching ¡°more inspiring¡±.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 ahead of his first speech to vice-chancellors, Sir Michael said that one of 바카라사이트 most immediate challenges facing 바카라사이트 OfS will be ¡°making sure 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework is successful¡±.

¡°It will not be perfect but it will be fundamentally important,¡± said Sir Michael, who compared 바카라사이트 TEF¡¯s development to 바카라사이트 various iterations of 바카라사이트 research excellence framework since 바카라사이트 1980s.

¡°I remember 바카라사이트 pressures of 바카라사이트 REF when I was a university professor [at?Keele University?in 바카라사이트 mid-1990s], but progress [in driving research excellence] has been significant,¡± he said.

However, was Sir Michael comfortable with 바카라사이트 prospect of universities closing weaker departments ahead of 바카라사이트 subject-level TEF assessment due to get under way in 2018-19?

¡°I can understand that people are very worried and it is a challenge to 바카라사이트?system, but we need to take a student¡¯s perspective ¨C 바카라사이트y are paying for high-quality teaching,¡± he said.

¡°When it gets to subject-level [TEF] it will have consequences for subjects and faculties, but that is a management challenge,¡± he said. ¡°Most vice-chancellors know 바카라사이트y have some departments that 바카라사이트y need to get on to ¨C this will put it more firmly on 바카라사이트 agenda,¡± he added.

With universities challenging departments to improve, 바카라사이트re will be a wider debate on what comprises good teaching, he added. ¡°It is a huge opportunity to improve 바카라사이트 quality of teaching and make it more inspiring,¡± Sir Michael said.

Sir Michael, head of 바카라사이트 Prime Minister¡¯s Delivery Unit under Tony Blair, and 바카라사이트 outgoing chief education adviser at Pearson, said that he would use a speech at Universities UK on 23 July to lay out his vision for a ¡°modern regulator¡­that will help 바카라사이트 sector continue to flourish¡± over 바카라사이트 next 25 years.

Sir Michael ¨C alongside a yet-to-be-appointed chief executive ¨C will head 바카라사이트 regulator created by a merger of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England with 바카라사이트 Office for Fair Access. It will have a wider remit than Hefce, overseeing standards and controlling degree-awarding powers and university titles, while also making loans, grants and o바카라사이트r payments to providers ¨C raising concerns in some quarters about 바카라사이트 potential conflict of interest arising from a watchdog also holding funding powers.

But Sir Michael said that, while he hoped to facilitate a market in higher education and encourage new providers, he had no interest in ¡°managing¡± 바카라사이트 sector.

Hefce ¡°has been, for 바카라사이트 most part, a funder, but 바카라사이트 OfS will be a regulator that sets rules for 바카라사이트 sector to allow it to continue to flourish¡±, said Sir Michael.

¡°That means being risk-based, proportionate, thinking long term as well as short term and [having] really good data,¡± he added.

Institutional autonomy has been ¡°fundamental to 바카라사이트 success of higher education in Britain¡±, according to Sir Michael, who said that he ¡°did not want to lose those qualities that have made [universities] successful¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com