English University to be ranked in gold, silver and bronze
English University to be ranked in gold, silver and bronze:- The University students in England will take their pick from gold, silver and bronze after the government said that it would create new league tables based on the teaching quality.
About the new system
Unlike the Olympics, bronze will be a booby prize, awarded to universities which are found to be “significantly below” the benchmark standards in some areas – a decision which will unlikely be popular with vice-chancellors.
The new ratings which form the part of government’s teaching excellence framework (Tef) and will come into force from the middle of the next year, with universities given the grace period of about one year, before the rankings dictate their ability to raise the tuition fees.
The Department for Education, which has currently taken over the responsibility for administering the framework, said that the ratings will be available for students applying to start the university in autumn next year.
By the University Ministers
The universities minister, Jo Johnson said, “The framework will give the students clear, understandable information about where the best teaching is on the offer and for the first time place the teaching qualities on a par with research at the universities.”
From the year 2018 the ratings will decide which universities will be allowed to raise their tuition fees following the rate of inflation. The first stage of the Tef allows the universities to raise their fees from the next year, and all participating universities will be able to raise them again in the following year.
An year’s delay will be granted with relief by the vice-chancellors, who had been concerned about the new fees framework that would come in force while they juggle with the impact of Brexit on students recruitment.
Julia Goodfellow, the president of the lobby group Universities, UK and vice-chancellor of Kent University, said,”The revised timetable is helpful and we are pleased that there will be an evaluation and piloting before moving on to the next phases of the Tef.”
“The new challenge for government, and the university sector, will be to develop a new single framework that can effectively respond to the tremendous diversity within the higher education system, throughout UK.”
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DFE likely to opt for Tef
The DFE also has announced that the universities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland could also opt in to enter the Tef and receive ratings, although the ratings will merely affect the funding for universities in England.
The rankings will be given by a panel of assessors and will last for up to three years and will be based on different statistics including the dropout rates, students satisfaction survey results and increase the employment rates, including the proportion of graduates who go on to work in the high-skill jobs. Some critics have also argued that none of these indicators directly measure teaching quality.
The chief executive from the University Alliance group, welcomed different aspects of the government’s announcement but also added “We think the merits of a highly skilled employment metric and a medals-style ratings system will ought to be tested. The trial year will be vital in getting this right.”
How the ratings will be given
As per the DFE, the Tef panel will award gold to any university if its courses offer “outstanding level of stretch which ensures that all students are significantly challenged to achieve to their full potential”. Students will need to “frequently engage with developments from the forefront of research, scholarship or any practice”.
Silver grades will be awarded to universities offering courses with “high levels of stretch which ensures that all students are significantly challenged,” while bronze will go to universities where the “provision is of satisfactory quality however, the provider is likely to be significantly below the benchmark in one or more areas.”
