The Westminster government has been accused of “chasing headlines” with its promise to crack down on “rip-off” degrees in England, with sector leaders still awaiting detail on how the “divisive” policy will work in practice.
Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, tasked the Office for Students (OfS) with placing number caps on courses deemed to be failing to deliver “good outcomes”, based on graduate employment data and student continuation and completion rates.
Critics said the policy was “overblown” and lacking in detail – particularly given that the OfS already has similar powers – but warned that it could further disincentivise universities from offering opportunities to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Sir Chris Husbands, vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, called it an “extremely short-sighted and grotesquely unfair” decision that would, ultimately, “drive inequality”.
