APPENDIX C
THE FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING BILL (CLAUSE
19)
SECOND READING:
HOUSE OF
LORDS, WEDNESDAY
13 DECEMBER 2006
Clause 19 provides for the application to the
Privy Council by further education colleges for foundation degree
awarding powers. Currently the Privy Council has the power, under
section 76 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, to make
orders enabling higher education institutions to grant either
taught or research degree awarding powers, or both. Clause 19
amends this section of the 1992 act to create a third category
of degree awarding powers relating to foundation degrees only.
Under the terms of the 1992 Act, further education colleges would
be permitted to grant awards on behalf of other institutions—ie
under the Bill as currently drafted, further education colleges
would not only be able to grant their own foundation degrees,
but also validate foundation degrees delivered in other institutions.
The Development of Foundation Degrees and the
role of Universities
Foundation degrees are a new type of degree,
first delivered in 2001. They were always envisaged as being developed
and delivered by colleges, universities and employers. Universities
have been in the forefront of promoting the development and delivery
of foundation degrees and they have done so precisely because
they were envisaged as a higher education qualification.
Crucially universities have validated foundation
degrees and the website of the DfES currently says that foundation
degrees are "validated by universities to ensure that they
meet the standards of higher education".
Notwithstanding this, Clause 19 of the FE and
Training Bill has been inserted into the FE and Training Bill
without any consultation with universities.
Why is University involvement crucial for students?
University involvement has been crucial for
students because it has ensured a progression route from foundation
to honours degrees.
As the Department's own website says, university
validation has been vital in providing a guarantee for students
that foundation degrees had "value" and could be "badged"
as higher education qualifications.
What have Universities delivered?
Universities have worked to:
— ensure that appropriate resources
have been available where HE / foundation degree students study
in FE colleges
— guarantee quality for students through
validation. In a few cases, this has meant restructuring provision
and partnerships with colleges to ensure that teaching and course
provision meet QAA standards
— ensure compatibility between foundation
and honours degrees and a seamless basis of progression for students
Universities have :
— developed partnership and collaborative
working with colleges and employers
— provided staff resources (including
university staff teaching on some foundation degree programmes)
— used resources made available by
the Funding Council for capital investment (both current and in
the pipeline)
— underpinned the quality assurance
framework for foundation degrees with the considerable resources
which all universities already devote to quality assurance, thereby
not only ensuring quality compatible with the reputation of UK
higher education, but also delivering economies of scale
Why has this been important?
It was never intended that foundation degrees
would be 2 year "stand alone" qualifications. The whole
idea was to ensure that there was student progression and compatibility
with honours degree programmes.
This is crucial not only for students but also
to secure the relationship and reputation of British higher education
qualifications within the Bologna Process and in the international
partnerships and international recruitment with which British
universities are involved.
THE PROBLEMS
WITH CLAUSE
19
There is a real prospect that student progression
and the lifelong learning networks being established between education
providers will be damaged and university underpinning of student
resources for foundation degrees will be lost.
The importance of "badging" foundation
degrees as a higher education qualification through university
validation will be lost as will the input of universities through
their staff and quality assurance resources.
The future of foundation degrees as a higher
education qualification has been placed into further doubt by
the publication of the Leitch Report. This proposes that Sector
Skills Councils are given responsibility for approving all NVQ
Level 1-5 vocational qualifications AND all foundation degrees
in England. According to Leitch, without SSC approval, no public
funding will be available for foundation degrees. The Leitch Report
is also silent on student progression and makes no reference to
the current link between foundation and honours degree programmes.
Universities have partnership relationships
with a whole range of further education colleges. Clause 19 means
that education providers will become competitors rather than collaborators
in student progression and there is a real prospect that the expansion
of foundation degree programmes and widening participation will
be put at risk.
The reputation of British higher educational
qualifications will be placed at risk. Clause 19 transfers foundation
degree awarding powers away from universities and breaks the link
between HE study in FE and university validation and provision.
It is deeply disappointing that neither the
principle, the implications nor the mechanics of the proposed
extension of foundation degree awarding powers have been discussed
with universities, including those which are currently involved
in partnership arrangements. Such a lack of consultation is entirely
unhelpful in progressing the widening participation agenda upon
which there is cross-party agreement.
December 2006
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