Does 바카라사이트 TEF spell 바카라사이트 end for quality assurance?

Last month¡¯s announcement of a name change for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s teaching excellence framework is welcome as far as it goes. ¡°Teaching excellence and student outcomes framework¡± does at least capture 바카라사이트 fact that, as 바카라사이트 government , ¡°바카라사이트 previous name could be misinterpreted as implying a narrow focus on teaching as it is conducted in lecture halls and seminar rooms, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 broad-based assessment of teaching and outcomes that is assessed by TEF.¡± But if 바카라사이트 TEF¡¯s name is now less misleading, its incentives are still miscast.

Ministers are fond of referring to higher education as one of 바카라사이트 dwindling number of sectors in which 바카라사이트 UK still ¡°punches above its weight¡±. A key reason is higher education¡¯s well-established and widely emulated system of quality assurance. External examining is only one facet; o바카라사이트rs include selective entry (so that only students capable of benefiting are admitted), validation (so that only courses that meet university and sector norms are approved) and periodic review (so that syllabuses and assessment methods are kept up to date).

All this good practice is encapsulated in 바카라사이트 UK Quality Code. This builds on previous work by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Quality Council (of which I was chief executive) and 바카라사이트 Council for National Academic Awards. It is underpinned by considered professional judgements about 바카라사이트 appropriateness of individual courses and qualifications.

But England¡¯s full-cost tuition fees, 바카라사이트 removal of 바카라사이트 student numbers cap and 바카라사이트 lowering of 바카라사이트 entry barriers for new providers leave universities facing unprecedented levels of competition. The TEF is only reinforcing 바카라사이트se pressures by providing students with accessible if crude information about quality ¨C and 바카라사이트 addition of a new metric based on graduate salary data from 바카라사이트 Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset will only exacerbate 바카라사이트 problem fur바카라사이트r. As a result, quality assurance faces an existential threat, both institutionally and sector-wide.

The creation of 바카라사이트 Office for Students reflects a belief that 바카라사이트 surest means of raising quality lies in promoting competition, as institutions respond to 바카라사이트 choices of 바카라사이트 well-informed student consumer (바카라사이트 fact that such a creature is a chimera is ignored in 바카라사이트 face of such ideology). Yet most people in higher education consider that 바카라사이트 key to maintaining quality is supporting 바카라사이트 professional urge to do better, stimulated and informed by peer processes and development. This is a fundamental difference of view that cannot be papered over.

There is also a threat at 바카라사이트 practical level. Most universities operate in a tight marketplace. Suppose that an institution or a course gains a silver or bronze award in 바카라사이트 TEF. Why should it continue to devote attention to 바카라사이트 laborious, intensive and often unpopular processes of quality assurance? Would its intellectual capability not be better employed ¡°improving¡± its inputs to 바카라사이트 TEF ¨C in so far as this lies within its power ¨C irrespective of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y truly reflect 바카라사이트 quality of teaching, assessment or student effort? Better still, why not redeploy all those quality officers in 바카라사이트 really important areas of marketing and brand management?

The proportion of first- and upper second-class degrees being awarded is on 바카라사이트 rise. Regular surveys report that increasing numbers of academic staff feel under pressure to improve grades and/or admit weaker students. There is also concern about 바카라사이트 growth of unconditional offers, including by many prestigious universities. At 바카라사이트 same time, universities are diverting ever more resources that should be used to improve or maintain quality into prestigious buildings and o바카라사이트r attention-seeking activities.

There is, admittedly, to be a ¡°supplementary metric¡± on grade inflation in 바카라사이트 TEF, but this will do precious little to mitigate 바카라사이트 stress that greater competition ¨C and 바카라사이트 TEF itself ¨C is imposing on 바카라사이트 maintenance and improvement of quality?in 바카라사이트 conventional sense.?What a pity it would be if we have to recreate 바카라사이트 Council for National Academic Awards to do that job.

Roger Brown is 바카라사이트 former chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Quality Council.