The new English quality assurance régime

Abstract

England is developing a new quality assurance régime that will come into effect in October 2011. A new funding régime will operate from the following year, together with new rules to ease the participation of private higher education providers. This article describes and analyses the new quality and funding régimes. It argues that the greater competitive and resourcing pressures that will flow from these changes will place severe strains on the new quality régime, to the point where further changes may be unavoidable.

Keywords:

• quality assurance
• academic standards
• external examiners

Notes

1. Editor’s note. As of 1 April 2011, 22 institutions had indicated their fee structure and all indicated they would charge £9000, with the exception of Leeds Metropolitan University who indicated a tuition fee of £8500. This rather undermines the government hope of price competitition.