As part of the Bologna Process, the UK is committed to the European Standards and Guidelines, internationally agreed good practice in quality oversight. QAA’s policy paper highlights that England has diverged from the standards in four areas:
- Its inconsistent approach to including students on review teams;
- Transparent publication of reports;
- Lack of independence in quality oversight; and
- Absence of up-to-date assessment of the quality of all providers.
The policy paper outlines how realigning with this good practice could help retain international trust in UK higher education.
When I was Minister of State for Education and Employment, the UK and many of its neighbours recognised that closer alignment of higher education systems would boost the competitiveness of higher education across the continent and in the wider world. Better harmonisation would enhance student and staff mobility, boost research power, attract international investment, and keep UK higher education competitive.
