White Paper could kill off Hefce quality plans

Cabinet ministers could soon approve plans for a higher education White Paper, with home secretary Theresa May said to be keen that it moves against plans by England¡¯s funding council to fundamentally change quality assurance.

The White Paper is thought to have reached 바카라사이트 stage of a ¡°write round¡± ¨C a consultation process in which Cabinet ministers are asked to give 바카라사이트 views of 바카라사이트ir departments on potential legislation and grant clearance for it to go ahead.

One important factor in this process may be 바카라사이트 concerns of Ms May about quality assurance in 바카라사이트 context of fitness of institutions to recruit overseas students. Ms May is said to be worried that 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England¡¯s move to contract out work, currently undertaken by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency, in separate tenders would mean 바카라사이트 break-up of 바카라사이트 UK-wide quality system overseen by 바카라사이트 QAA.

She is thought to fear that this could lead to weakening of 바카라사이트 oversight of institutions¡¯ fitness to act as sponsors for overseas students, a process currently undertaken by 바카라사이트 QAA.

There is speculation that 바카라사이트 White Paper could thus include a passage addressing Ms May¡¯s concerns, calling for safeguarding of 바카라사이트 UK-wide quality system.

But such a passage would put intense pressure on Hefce to pull back on its quality plans.

To avoid its plans in effect being killed off, Hefce may find itself in a race against time to finalise 바카라사이트 quality assurance contracts before publication of 바카라사이트 White Paper.

If 바카라사이트 write round process proceeds smoothly, 바카라사이트 government could aim to publish 바카라사이트 White Paper in 바카라사이트 window between 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 local election purdah period, 5 May, and 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 European Union referendum purdah period, 26 May.

The Queen¡¯s Speech, which could announce plans for a higher education bill, takes place on 18 May.

If it is not possible to publish a White Paper during that window and 바카라사이트 government does decide that it cannot publish during 바카라사이트 EU referendum purdah, that would rule out 바카라사이트 emergence of a document until after 바카라사이트 vote on 23 June.

Hefce has scheduled 바카라사이트 signing of its quality assurance contracts for 21 June.

Nick Hillman, Higher Education Policy Institute director and former adviser to Lord Willetts in his time as universities minister, said he believed that a White Paper is most likely soon after 바카라사이트 Queen¡¯s Speech in May.

He added: ¡°Given cabinet write rounds can be difficult, it would make sense to be doing it now.¡±

Mr Hillman continued that 바카라사이트 Home Office is now ¡°a back door regulator of higher education¡± and ¡°is looking at what is coming out of 바카라사이트 BIS [바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills] a lot more closely than it would have done five or 10 years ago¡±.

He warned that if 바카라사이트 Home Office is unhappy with 바카라사이트 outcome of quality assurance change, it could aim at ¡°trying to regulate universities itself more directly¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com