The prime minister announced a crackdown on poor-quality university courses with public funding while boosting skills training and apprenticeships. “Too many young people are being sold a false dream. That is why we are taking action to crack down on rip-off university courses, while boosting skills training and apprenticeships provision.” the PM said,
The British government led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced measures to control degrees that fail to deliver value to students, with courses with high drop-outs and poor job prospects set to face penalties.
The British government has lowered tuition fees for classroom-based classes to £5,760 (about $7,550) from £9,250 (about $12,100) and increased access to apprenticeships as part of an effort to reduce university attendance.
The prime minister announced a crackdown on poor-quality university courses with public funding while boosting skills training and apprenticeships. “Too many young people are being sold a false dream. That is why we are taking action to crack down on rip-off university courses, while boosting skills training and apprenticeships provision.” the PM said, adding that this action would “help more young people to choose the path that is right to help them reach their potential and grow our economy.”
Sunak also noted that the UK has some of the world’s best universities, yet graduates of certain courses may not find adequate employment in the end. The reform looks to combat this issue and direct public funds more efficiently.
Nearly three out of 10 graduates fail to find highly-skilled jobs or further study within 15 months, according to the Office for Students. The OfS has the power to investigate and sanction universities whose degrees are below minimum thresholds, and can now also limit those courses’ student numbers.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan emphasized the need for “value for money” and a good return on investment in higher education from students and taxpayers. The new measures, she said, will “crack down” on providers offering poor-quality courses and ensure students can gain the skills needed to get great jobs. The government aims to facilitate economic growth via these reforms.
In March, the U.K. government announced that international students would be barred from bringing family members during their studies as part of its efforts to restrict migration.
The UK will impose the ban on foreign students without postgraduate research programs bringing dependents to the country for study beginning in January 2024, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics due to be released July 20. The data is anticipated to show that net migration levels are at their highest since records began in December 2022.
The British government has enacted the country’s “single biggest tightening measure a government has ever done” with Sunak noting that 136,000 visas for dependents were granted in 2022, a rise from 2019’s 16,000.
