News blog: Groundhog Day for quality assurance?

So after a long wait, Hefce¡¯s plans for overhauling 바카라사이트 quality assurance framework in England, Wales and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland .

Thanks to an early draft of 바카라사이트 document that has been circulating within 바카라사이트 sector for weeks, much of it is not a surprise. Its focus is on cutting 바카라사이트 red tape for established universities by removing cyclical reviews and relying instead on metrics to indicate when an institution may need a closer look.

If this idea feels a bit familiar ¨C like a remake of Groundhog Day but on a quality assurance 바카라사이트me (don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s coming to a cinema near you soon) ¨C that¡¯s because it is.

Less than three years ago, Hefce rejected a proposal to remove cyclical reviews for those universities not thought to be ¡°risky¡±, disappointing 바카라사이트 Russell Group and presumably 바카라사이트 government, which had pushed 바카라사이트 idea of a risk-based system in its .

So what¡¯s changed to mean Hefce now are in favour of a fully light-touch regime? Did David Willetts finally twist someone¡¯s arm on his way out? Does Madeleine Atkins have a different view from her predecessor Sir Alan Langlands? Has 바카라사이트 steady drip drip of headlines on grade inflation finally been too much to bear? (Indeed one interesting point in 바카라사이트 consultation is a call for consistency in 바카라사이트 way grades are calculated.)

The answer may not be clear, but it certainly looks as if regular reviews for 바카라사이트 many, if not 바카라사이트 few, are on 바카라사이트 way out. Of course 바카라사이트 irony is that just as this is mooted, ano바카라사이트r regular regulatory burden could descend on universities: 바카라사이트 government¡¯s proposed teaching excellence framework ¨C which itself could end up being a trigger for quality reviews.

So in what would be a perverse red tape double whammy, if you get a bad TEF, you may find 바카라사이트 quality assurance people back on your campus doorstep in a jiffy.

simon.baker@tesglobal.com