Business Secretary Lord Mandelson expects students to take on a consumer-approach to selecting their degree course in future.
This week, a report on higher education in England and Wales, entitled ‘Higher Ambitions: The Future of Universities in a Knowledge Economy’ was released, outlining a 10-year strategy on improving higher education. The report includes recommendations for students to be more picky about their courses, to accompany his plans for ‘labelling’ degree courses clearly according to the number contact hours and graduate prospects.
However, statistics in ‘Higher Ambitions’ indicate vast differences in the number of contact hours given to students studying arts and those in science-based degrees. Currently students in the faculty of humanities receive, on average, 13 hours less contact time than those studying dentistry and medicine.
Lord Mandelson says students would have a bigger say in the overall structure of teaching and more access to academic support from their institutions. “As students who go into higher education pay more, they will expect more and are entitled to receive more in terms, not just of the range of courses, but in the quality of experience they receive during their time in the higher education system.”
Aaron Porter, vice-president of the National Union of Students said:‘”Given that there has been no demonstrable improvement in the number of contact hours since fees went up in 2006, I don’t believe there can be any justification for an increase now.”
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