10 June 2010
University think-tank critical of Minister's degrees 'on the cheap' proposals
Leading university think-tank million+ has criticised proposals made by David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, which would result in students studying at FE Colleges rather than at university. The Minister has suggested that, to reduce the costs to the taxpayer, degrees could be delivered by institutions other than universities with students then taking an external exam accredited by a university at the end of their course. million+ described the proposals as a complete distraction from the problems facing students who have applied to go to university in September and who are at risk of not getting places because university funding has been cut.
Professor Les Ebdon, Chair of million+ and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire said: “This is a cheap proposal and an old-fashioned model that will not serve students or employers well. Employers do not want people who just sit exams but people with the graduate attributes and higher level skills developed at university. These proposals also risk creating a two tier system where those who can afford it, go away from home to study, while students from poorer backgrounds study in FE rather than at university.
“48 per cent of university applicants have already been to college and universities have created some very effective partnerships with FE Colleges but this is no substitute for students having the right to progress to and study at university.
“The proposals are a complete distraction from the real problems facing the many thousands of students who want to start courses at university in 2010 but who are at risk of not getting places. The situation of these students has been made much worse by the additional £82million of cuts which the Coalition Government has imposed on universities in 2010-11 and by the decision to halve the number of additional student places which the previous Government had promised to fund.”
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Notes to Editors:
1. million+ is a leading university think-tank, working to solve the complex problems in higher education www.millionplus.ac.uk
2. For more information, comment or interviews from million+ please contact Victoria Mills on 020 7717 1659 or 07900 277819