Fast-track degree plan raises quality concerns

The government has been warned that plans for fast-track degrees with higher annual fees risk adversely affecting the quality of education received by university students, write Ruth McKee and Haroon Siddique for the Guardian.

The two-year degrees proposed by the government will cost the same as a three-year course, meaning annual fees for them will be higher. Ministers are expected to table a bill to lift the current £9,000-a-year (US$11,000) cap on tuition costs so universities can charge higher annual rates.

Before the recent official announcement, concerns were raised about how education standards would be maintained and the workload fast-track degrees would impose on staff. The University and College Union said the proposals would do little to open up the university experience to more students but appeared to be aimed at helping for-profit companies thrive in the higher education sector.
Full report on the Guardian site