The Office for Students has neglected one of its original aims by failing to reform the “nightmarish” system that prevents alternative higher education providers competing with established institutions, according to the former universities minister who created the English regulator.
Lord Johnson of Marylebone, the architect of the Higher Education Reform Act 2017, said not tackling the problems with validating new providers was one of his biggest frustrations with the OfS because it allowed universities to operate as “gatekeepers” and prevent competitors from offering different models.
Appearing in front of the House of Lords’ Industry and Regulators Committee – which is investigating the OfS’ work following intense criticism from universities – Lord Johnson said the processes in place to get going as a provider, including achieving degree-awarding powers, involved “unbelievable bureaucracy”.
He said a key aim of HERA was to accelerate this, but “it hasn’t” and the agenda has been neglected recently, partly because government ministers have not been pushing it.
