Partner Article

White Paper gives students more power over education

A new government proposal could see students in England and Wales getting more for their money at university.

The details of the White Paper show reforms in four key areas: funding, delivering a better student experience, increasing social mobility and reducing regulations for new providers.

The new reforms will also ensure that universities are more accountable for improving the overall quality of their institution.

These moves by the government are part of a massive overhaul in the public sector in a bid to cut waste and give more choice to consumers, thereby putting more power into their hands.

Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable said: “Higher education is a successful public-private partnership; combining Government funding with institutional autonomy.

“This White Paper builds on that record, while doing more than ever to put students in the driving seat. We want to see more investment, greater diversity, including innovative forms of delivery from further education colleges and others, and less centralised control over student numbers.”

Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Learning and Teaching at Newcastle University, Professor Suzanne Cholerton welcomed the transparency which the White Paper will provide, and believes it will help students to make more informed decisions whilst at university.

She said: “Newcastle University offers a range of programmes and placements to ensure that our students have the knowledge, skills and proven aptitude that employers are looking for.

“With 94% of our students going on to graduate level jobs - just under half within this region - we have an excellent track record to build on.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .