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Further Education and Training Bill [HL]

I have an amendment in this group. I do not propose to go over the general points that I made at Second Reading but, as I said then, I regard the standing of the brand of the British degree as being of immense value. It has been said to me that some other countries let the market play and that there is an informal ranking of universities, as in the United States and Japan. We did not think that was in the United Kingdom’s interests in higher education and beyond. If we may make a comparison with the United States, half the world would like to be domiciled there, and getting into an American university is a way in. We do not quite have the same pull. We have been immensely successful, through the standard of the British degree, in attracting a very large number of students from throughout the world. I am thinking in terms not only of income-generating benefit to the balance of payments but of the quality of mind in research, in particular, in our universities. I do not intend to go over the general arguments; I shall concentrate on the four parts of my amendment, which are based on a premise that the Government’s intentions will be implemented, although I hope that they will be modified. The first part of the amendment is based on a view that the interest that is most at stake here is that of the student, in terms not only of the quality of the education but of the standing of the award. Since what is proposed is a change in the award and, to some extent, its standing, the student has a right to be consulted. I am aware that Clause 21 provides that governing bodies must have regard to any guidance that is given, and I am grateful to the Minister for providing us with copies of the guidance. I have read the relevant part on further education institutions, which says that the guidance, "““encourages governing bodies of further education institutions to consult with learners””." It goes on to say that the guidance ““offers advice””. That is hardly a vatic. I am sure that if the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Manchester were with us, he would be glad, as I am, to see the references about consultation on the faith and spiritual needs of learners, but there is no mention of consultation on the specific important point—whose degree it is. I place particular emphasis on consulting students before an application is made. My second point is that it should be a condition of power being granted by the Privy Council that the institution makes arrangements with an institution or institutions of higher education for progression. Reference has been made to the high proportion of students who seek to go beyond the foundation degree. The word ““foundation”” suggests that it is the foundation for something beyond, and the interest of the student is very much that it should form the basis for progression to something else so that he or she does not, in a dislocated way, have to start again. I regard this as a particularly important requirement of any institution. My third point relates to not authorising other bodies to award a foundation degree or a credit or to provide courses. I hope that there will be an opportunity to discuss the wording of that provision carefully so that there is complete clarity. When I led a committee looking into the future of higher education, we looked into that matter. Although things worked very well in the main, there were occasions when people took risks. That is particularly so—and I believe that it would apply in this case—when the power, if there is one, extends overseas, because the channels of communication are so long. In paragraph 10.77 of the report of the committee that I chaired, we drew attention to the problems that had arisen, including serial franchising, "““where one institution validates or franchises provision to another, which in turn franchises this provision elsewhere””." We said that that must cease. These things have to be controlled; it is a major step to grant a power to a limited number of institutions. That power should be exercised within their bailiwick, as it were, rather than that they should start spreading the power elsewhere. My final point has already been referred to by the noble Baronesses. After a reasonable interval—the noble Baroness, Lady Morris of Bolton, said six years; I said four—there is a check of the quality of what is going on. I went for four years because that is long enough for things to settle down and, if things are not going well, it is desirable that they are remedied quickly, but the four-year period was purely arbitrary. This is a new power, and the interest of the student and of the standing of the British degree suggest strongly that it should be used circumspectly and carefully.