Today the Government’s Higher Education Bill, the biggest shake up to higher education since 1994, goes to its second reading in the House of Commons. As a Students’ Union we believe it’s important that we are fully engaged in this process to make sure that students are truly at the heart of the system, not just political rhetoric.
Today the Government’s Higher Education Bill, the biggest shake up to higher education since 1994, goes to its second reading in the House of Commons. As a Students’ Union we believe it’s important that we are fully engaged in this process to make sure that students are truly at the heart of the system, not just political rhetoric.
Some of the key changes within this bill on the surface look great, including the introduction of the Office of Students and the Teaching Excellence Framework, however the majority of changes proposed in this bill aren’t student focused and put the educational experience of students across the country at dire risk.
Additional changes that the government is proposing include making it easier for new universities, including private providers, to access the market and it makes it easier for universities that fail to leave the market as well. We believe this will lead to a watering down of standards that institutions must meet, in terms of meeting QAA standards and how long they need to have been running to meet that standard.
Box Ticking Exercise
Students’ Union President, Education and Campaigns, Natasha Barrett, commented: "This Government is attempting to flood the market with substandard provision and use a smoke screen of positive words to butcher the higher education system. Furthermore, these developments put the reputation of the UK Higher Education system and the experience of students across the country at risk."
Natasha continued: "The Students’ Union is encouraged by the government’s concern with disparity in teaching standards across different institutions and sometimes courses. However by tying fees to teaching standards the government is forcing institutions to tick boxes and not actually focus on teaching quality, especially new institutions."
The Students’ Union will be writing to local MP, Philip Hammond, to ask to meet with him to discuss the concerns of students at Royal Holloway and how the government can address these concerns.
If you would like more information about the Higher Education Bill or the work the Students’ Union is doing around it then please don’t hesitate to contact your President, Education and Campaigns, Natasha Barrett via email, in person in the SU or on Twitter.