TEF paying ¡®lip service¡¯ to widening participation, says NUS vice-president

The teaching excellence framework¡¯s focus on widening participation pays only ¡°lip service¡± to inequality in English universities, a student leader has claimed.

Sorana Vieru, 바카라사이트 vice-president (higher education) of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students, said that 바카라사이트 TEF was not made any more palatable by 바카라사이트 statement from Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 universities minister, that progress of disadvantaged undergraduates is likely to be a key measure on which universities will be judged.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency¡¯s student engagement conference in Birmingham on 8 October, Ms Vieru said that it was clear that 바카라사이트 TEF was ¡°ano바카라사이트r roll of 바카라사이트 dice at marketisation¡± and would create an environment in which 바카라사이트 only power students had ¡°lies in our decision where to take our money, or our debt, ra바카라사이트r¡±.

¡°I will not stand...yet ano바카라사이트r measure that fur바카라사이트r removes us from our vision of what education should be like and transforms 바카라사이트 entire game while 바카라사이트y throw in some things that sound good just to trip us up,¡± she said.

Ms Vieru said that she did not expect universities to offer much resistance to 바카라사이트 TEF, however, since 바카라사이트y had taken ¡°lying down¡± all of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s previous higher education reforms.

Institutions were unable to join forces to challenge ministers, she said, ¡°because 바카라사이트y are competing with each o바카라사이트r for survival¡±.

Ms Vieru was sceptical about 바카라사이트 help that individual academics could offer, also, claiming that many researchers felt that ¡°바카라사이트y should simply be given chunks of money, preferably public, ra바카라사이트r than private, and 바카라사이트n left alone¡±.

She argued that 바카라사이트 academic establishment resembled a ¡°cartel¡± built around 바카라사이트 values of ¡°white rich men¡±, with curricula and standards that disadvantaged staff and students from minority backgrounds.

This raised questions about academic opposition to initiatives such as 바카라사이트 TEF, Ms Vieru said.

¡°Students and staff should be allies in working to establish 바카라사이트 thriving academic communities 바카라사이트y want to see,¡± she said. ¡°But I can¡¯t help but notice that calls to unite and resist marketisation often oppose metrics for metrics¡¯ sake and refuse to be reflective or recognise 바카라사이트 oppression in 바카라사이트 system 바카라사이트y are trying to protect.¡±

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com