House of Commons report on higher education Thursday, August 6, 2009 - 10:23

Students and Universities - [PDF] has made headlines with claims of inconsistency in standards of degree classification, of ‘randomness and chance in the admission process' and of a ‘defensive complacency' at the top in higher education.

NIACE is particularly interested in the report's view that ‘the case for improving the treatment of part-time and mature students is compelling'.

Alastair Thomson, Principal Advocacy Officer at NIACE, said:

"Higher education should be no less accountable for the public money it receives than any other provider of education and training. The Committee's scrutiny has ruffled some feathers but raises questions on important issues such as credit transfer and shows how much needs to be done to make the system not only fairer but more transparent."