Educating the Future – Students, MPs and Ministers gather in Parliament

Widening access, boosting quality and promoting choice. These are the objectives of the Higher Education and Research Bill, scheduled to go through Parliament following the summer recess.

 

In preparation for the forthcoming debates, Norwich North MP Chloe Smith joined Universities Minister Jo Johnson and students from the NUS at an important roundtable, held in Parliament this week.

 

Speaking in support of the Bill, Chloe said:

 

“I welcomed the opportunity to meet with students and the Universities Minister this week to discuss the proposals for Higher Education in the UK. British universities have an enviable reputation, but we cannot take this position for granted.  Students need the very best tuition, and to get value for money for their investment in their own future.

 

“Locally I’ve been campaigning to boost life chances for young people growing up in Norwich, which naturally includes access to higher education.  I’m working closely with the UEA in this project because they share my passion for widening access and participation.  This Bill will help universities to do that too.”

 

Key measures in the Bill include making it easier for new high-quality providers to enter the sector and award degrees, thereby giving students greater choice, and boosting competition to improve teaching quality.  A Teaching Excellence Framework will ensure universities focus on graduate employability and for the first time will link teaching funding to quality and not just quantity – a principle long-established for research funding. 

 

A new transparency duty will shine a spotlight on where institutions need to go further on social mobility, and give students more data on outcomes so they can make informed course choices based on the employment rates of past graduates.

 

The Government is also collecting evidence to examine the barriers to students switching between courses and institutions or undertaking accelerated and two-year degrees.

 

This week’s roundtable follows on from meetings between Chloe and the NUS, to discuss their take on the Bill. The NUS has welcomed moves to require universities to share transparency data and broaden access agreements to encourage participation.

 

The number of students in higher education has exceeded half a million for the first time and more students from disadvantaged backgrounds are going to university than ever before.  The proportion of young people applying to university from disadvantaged backgrounds now stands at a record 22%.  Research by the Association of Graduate Recruiters shows that there was a 13.2% increase in graduate hires last year with a 3.7% increase in starting salaries.  The gap in applications between poorer and more privileged upbringings is also at its lowest ever.