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Written question asked by Lord Storey (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 7 November 2017, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 21 November 2017. It was answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie (Conservative) on Tuesday, 21 November 2017 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Higher Education: Private Sector

Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to provide quality assurance for students studying degree courses at a private college whose degrees are validated by a university.

Answer

Degree awarding bodies are ultimately responsible for the academic standards of any awards granted in their name and the quality of learning opportunities, regardless of where these are delivered or who provides them.

In addition, all designated Alternative Providers are currently subject to a rigorous, risk-based approach to quality assurance in line with the UK Quality Code for Higher Education, which applies across all UK providers of Higher Education (HE). Where an Alternative Provider is delivering validated HE provision, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) will consider how these collaborative working arrangements are effectively managed.

A successful Higher Education Review (Alternative Providers) by the QAA is a pre-requisite for designation for student support for Alternative Providers, which are also expected to undergo annual monitoring visits from QAA.

In October 2017 the National Audit Office published a report concluding progress has been made in strengthening the oversight of the Alternative Provider sector.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL3037
Session
2017-19
Subjects
Degrees Higher education Private sector Standards
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk