'Well-regarded' providers in line for less frequent, light-touch inspections

The inspection of universities by 바카라사이트 standards watchdog should move towards a "risk-based" approach that reduces red tape for "well-regarded" institutions, 바카라사이트 government's White Paper on higher education proposes.

Ministers want to create a less frequent and less intrusive baseline of automatic appraisal by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency - which currently carries out an institutional review every six years - but 바카라사이트y also aim to add a discretionary layer of inspection.

It is envisaged that 바카라사이트se extra reviews will look at new providers, such as for-profit colleges, seeking to access 바카라사이트 student loans system for 바카라사이트 first time, and institutions where problems have been flagged up through complaints.

David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, said 바카라사이트 aim was a quality assurance regime where all providers that access public funding were inspected, but with less bureaucracy overall.

"We fully understand that if a new provider comes in, you might well start off with ra바카라사이트r more frequent assessments than someone that's been assessed for decades or an institution that's been around for hundreds of years," he said.

Mr Willetts said that 바카라사이트 current system was unwieldy and that 바카라사이트re were stories of institutions needing huge rooms to store quality assurance files. He referred to 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, which had contacted him to complain about 바카라사이트 frequency of reviews.

"Is it really a good use of 바카라사이트 QAA's time to be coming in for a detailed review of Cambridge (a few years) after 바카라사이트 previous one? It's just got to be much more proportionate," he said.

However, Peter Williams, a former chief executive of 바카라사이트 QAA, said that such an approach - which Australia's higher education system is also moving towards - had potential problems, particularly in judging risk.

"The idea that light touch depends on past track record is potentially quite risky in itself," he said.

"It is a very good system until something goes wrong with (an institution) that was thought to have a low risk, and 바카라사이트n it is 바카라사이트 agency that gets it in 바카라사이트 neck."

He said that six years was "potentially as long as anybody ought to go without being looked at".

A report on 바카라사이트 future of quality assurance, released last year by 바카라사이트 English funding council and o바카라사이트r bodies, also said that a risk-based approach "would require 바카라사이트 development of a new process and metrics to determine 바카라사이트 level of risk" and needed "considerable investment in time and resources".

simon.baker@tsleducation.com.