UK proposes reforms to tackle rogue higher education operators
The United Kingdom’s Department for Education has proposed new reforms to crack down on rogue higher education operators .
“We are committed to cracking down on rogue operators who misuse public money and damage the reputation of our world-class universities,” Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said in a statement on Thursday.
Franchising allows universities to subcontract courses to external providers, increasing access to higher education for many students. But an investigation by the National Audit Office revealed that fraud in this area cost taxpayers £2 million in the 2022/23 fiscal year.
Over half of the 341 franchised institutions are “unregistered with the Office for Students,” leading to quality concerns for students.
The government has planned to publish annual data on student outcomes for all subcontracted partnerships.
Read more
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson emphasized the need to protect public funds and uphold the reputation of the UK’s world-class universities.
The government aims to implement such changes as part of a broader package of reforms scheduled for announcement this summer, which seeks to prioritise student interests and support economic growth.
The consultation period for such proposals would run from January 30 to April 4, 2024, after which the responses would be reviewed and an official response published by summer 2024.
“The credibility of our universities is at stake, but these proposals seek to protect students and safeguard taxpayer’s money, as part of our work to drive growth through our Plan for Change,” Phillipson said.
For the latest news, follow us on Twitter @Aaj_Urdu. We are also on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Comments are closed on this story.