Mr. Sunak says some students are finding themselves enrolled in substandard courses that don't offer the skills they need to get a decent education . job Credit: Andy Rain/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Universities offering bad degrees are 'ripping off' students, warns Rishi Sunak, announcing a crackdown on low-quality courses.
Exclusively in writing. for The Telegraph, the prime minister says too many young people are being indoctrinated with the “false dream” that going to university will give them the skills they need to get a “decent job.”
As part of the government's plan to improve standards, the university review body will for the first time take future salaries into account when assessing whether participants are satisfied with the course.
It will be able to limit the number of students for courses where most of the graduates will not go into professional work or further education.
The maximum fee for many foundation courses will also be reduced due to concerns that students taking them are used in as a cash cow.
The moves are part of a broader campaign by successive conservative governments to ensure that university students get their money's worth after tuition increases.
' Fine. alternatives to university.”
Mr. Sunak says, “To put it simply: our youth are being robbed.”
“They are saddled with tens of thousands of pounds of debt from bad degrees that only make them poorer, and are discouraged from looking for more career options because they believe university is the only way to succeed.”
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“It's not fair to them – and it's not fair to you as taxpayers who have to pay most of the bill for nothing in return for our economy.
“So we are going to change the way our system works to end this injustice. And to tell our youth: there are good alternatives to university.”
These changes are part of a flurry of government announcements expected this week ahead of three by-elections for Conservative seats on Thursday, with Mr. Sunak in danger of losing them. everyone.
It is expected that a guide for schools on transgender children and a document from the military command on the long-term military outlook of the UK will be published before the summer recess in Parliament on Friday.
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Since the introduction of tuition fees under Tony Blair and its promotion under the government of David Cameron, there has been debate about whether all the degrees are worth the cost.
In recent years, Conservative ministers have sought to upskill. including an apprenticeship, and questioned the value of some of the degrees offered.
Highest paying job not requiring a degree
In the summer of 2022 in the Tory race, Sunak voiced concerns in this area, promising to phase out degrees that did not improve students' “earning potential”.
Reforms announced on Monday tighten the regime overseen by the Office of Students (OfS), which is the independent regulator of higher education in England.
According to OfS, almost three out of ten graduates do not go to a highly qualified job or continue their studies 15 months after graduation. .
According to the plan, OfS will consider potential earnings as well as other metrics when deciding whether a degree is of sufficient value.
The regulator will also be able to limit the number of students who can earn a degree that considered of little value. The metrics used to make this decision include how quickly graduates move to another job or study.
The maximum amount universities can charge for full-time one-year courses will be reduced from £9,250 to £5,760. Foundation courses are designed to give students the opportunity to learn the necessary skills or training before moving on to a full undergraduate course.
The fee ceiling is not intended to affect foundation years in areas such as art, music, engineering or science where certain skills are learned outside the classroom.
Cash Cows
Lord Agnew, a former schoolboy The Minister recently called the basic courses “terrible” and warned that they allow students to “accumulate one more year of debt.”
A Whitehall source close to the reforms warned that some of them used as “cash cows” by universities in need of funds.
The government is also creating a new online resource detailing all apprenticeship programs available nationwide and reducing the paperwork required to register businesses as an apprenticeship.
The changes, which only apply in England, are expected to most of the courses run by Russell Group universities are unlikely to have an impact.
In an article for The Telegraph, Mr. Sunak highlights the improvement in school standards seen since 2010.
He says: “Now we need to apply the same relentless emphasis on standards to higher education. Of course, we are proud to have some of the best universities in the world. They give generations of young people the opportunity to be innovators and solve problems, break new ground and tackle some of humanity's greatest challenges, from the Covid vaccine to the promise of nuclear fusion.
“But this experience is not for everyone. Too many of our young people are being sold the false dream of going to university only to find that they are enrolled in low-quality courses that don't provide the skills they need to get a decent job upon graduation.”
Learn more about degrees and openings
Philip Ogar, chair of the Independent Review of Education and Funding After 18, said: “This is another strong signal for universities to control this recruitment as it is not in the best interest of students. and I hope the sector reacts constructively.”
But Bridget Phillipson, the Labor Party's shadow secretary for education, said: “This is just an attack on the aspirations of young people and their families by a government that wants to reinforce the ceiling. in the classroom, not break it.”
Susan Lapworth, Executive Director, OfS, said: “Students of all backgrounds have the right to expect high-quality teaching in courses that lead to successful outcomes upon graduation.
“We know that many universities and colleges consistently provide this to their students. But where this is not the case, it is important that OfS, as the independent regulator of higher education in England, can intervene to protect the interests of students and taxpayers.
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