I got the chance to speak on the Higher Education and Research Bill when it was debated in Parliament. Here is the speech I wrote to give:
‘The changes to Higher Education brought in in 2011 were supposed to ultimately improve the student experience and the teaching they received. On the whole the changes have improved the higher education system, encouraging more students to go to university and improving social mobility. However, it has become clear that the regulatory system did not match what the students wanted, and there is a need to create a body to check that the universities are using the increased funds for improving teaching and resources.
‘The opportunity to gain a degree in a subject you enjoy or something which will help you get the career of your dreams is important for so many in the United Kingdom. The experiences gained in one of our higher education institutions, whether you are 18 years old or a mature student, is invaluable and often changes people’s lives. I am pleased that there are record numbers going to university and taking the opportunity to advance their minds as well as themselves. But these students must be the focus of the university.
‘This long awaited Higher Education and Research Bill will put students at the heart of the regulatory system with the Office for Students able to monitor and improve institutions. It is set to be full of experts in the field who can neutrally judge what quality of teaching is being given by universities.
‘I am proud to represent a city that has two world leading universities with the University of Bath being ranked one of the best universities for student satisfaction for a number of years. But I am concerned about my young constituents who travel elsewhere and do not necessarily get a teaching experience comparable to the fees they are paying. Going to university is a big financial investment and students need to be safe in the knowledge that there is a body ensuring that they are receiving quality teaching which will set them up for graduate life. This new framework and OFS will be able to monitor teaching quality and provide broad ideas about how the best quality teaching can be achieved, without telling an institution how they should teach, assess or the content of their courses. This crucial independence for universities means they can maintain their individual flair which attracts students whilst providing excellent teaching. This new scrutiny will not only provide assurances to students, but also to employers that the graduates they are hiring have received excellent teaching and therefore have the skills they are looking for.
‘I want to turn to the Teaching Excellence Framework, the measure by which the teaching quality of universities will be assessed against each other. This new framework will finally bring funding for teaching in line with funding for research as teaching funding will be linked to quality and not just quantity. This is important as it prevents universities from focusing too often on mass education to ensuring that those who they do invite to study with them are their priority.
‘It is important that the Government makes it clear well in advance what makes a course good value for money so that universities can tweak their current practices along with the guidance provided. It is going to be difficult to measure with such different styles even across the leading universities. I urge the Government to come up with a coherent, easy to understand set of qualities and priorities that universities can install so they can be confident that they will receive the highest quality rating.
‘This quality rating, which universities will receive is going to be an invaluable tool for prospective students choosing between the hundreds of higher education institutions across the country. Alex Neill, from Which?, an organisation which exists to promote consumer choice and information, said
“Our research has shown that students struggle to obtain the information they need to make informed decisions about university choices. We welcome measures to give students more insight into student experience, teaching standards and value for money. These proposals could not only drive up standards, but could also empower students ahead of one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives.”
‘Taking the decision to go to university for some people is easy, but not for everybody. It is a big decision as choosing the course and institution can make or break your future. There are many tools available which talk about the student experience, teaching style and range of support available. However, it is currently difficult to compare teaching quality, with all universities raving about how good they are. This new Bill will provide students with invaluable, directly comparable data showing the quality of teaching they can expect at each institution. I know I would have found this information useful when choosing which institution to be my first choice.
‘As I said earlier, when fees rose in 2011 teaching quality was supposed to increase with it. This new regime of focusing on teaching quality, will be supported by the cap on the fees a university can charge if they are not hitting the highest teaching quality. This power provides a good stick to stop a university disregarding the quality of teaching,
‘I have been contacted by some stakeholders within the university sector who are concerned that, whilst they are keen to offer students the best value for money and excellent teaching, these changes will come at the expense of the postgraduate sector and in particular the Science Technology Engineering and Maths research which is so crucial in many ways to our economic development. I know I have spoken with the Minister and he has provided me with reassurances however I hope he can reassure the whole House that the post-graduate sector will still be able to bloom whilst teaching in undergraduate degrees improves.
‘I have focused on the measures which will improve the student experience but I would like to turn briefly to the section of the bill which will mean we will be able to see more data about the diversity and the inclusivity of our universities. As part of the registration process with the new OFS, it will be a condition that the institution must publish admissions stats of gender, ethnicity and socio economic backgrounds. This data will include the number of applications from these groups and how many are accepted. Whilst I am sure this publicity will encourage institutions to look at becoming increasingly inclusive, it will also provide good tools to identify trends and what policies may be needed to address any shortcomings.
‘For too long students have been asking for better quality teaching. They want to get a degree but they want to know that when they are doing so they are receiving the best education to equip them for their future careers. I am pleased that this Government has taken action on this, finishing what they started with the changes to Higher Education in 2011, and students can now be confident that the education they receive is being scrutinised.
‘I hope that this Bill will put student’s minds at rest that the institution they pick to study at has a good teaching quality and that they care about their experience as much as they care about the research side of the institution. Sadly this has not always been the case and I am concerned that a lack of focus has left some leaving university feeling deflated.
I urge all members from across this House to do what the former shadow business secretary failed to do at that dispatch box a few weeks ago and put students first by backing this bill.’