New scrutiny on private colleges
Two independent regulators will now be inspecting privately funded education providers as part of the UK Border Agency's (UKBA's) crackdown on bogus colleges and abuses of the student visa system.The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) will extend their activities to include private colleges and drive up educational standards for sponsors o international students in the UK.
The QAA will take responsibility for reviewing:
- listed bodies
- private higher education providers running courses based on the Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications
- ‘embedded’ colleges offering pathway courses as routes into higher education
- English language schools
- Private further education colleges offering courses on the QCF/NQF
Colleges will have to apply to the QAA or the ISI to demonstrate that they have high enough standards. Those colleges that do not apply, or apply but do not get a satisfactory review will lose the right to issue confirmations of acceptance (CAS) to applicant students.
Colleges will have to apply before 9 September 2011 and get a satisfactory review before the end of 2012. Any college that applies and gets an unsatisfactory review will lose the right to issue CASs but has until the end of 2012 to get one.
Revoked licenses
This move comes about following recent efforts to identify colleges and students abusing the system. Since coming into power the Coalition have revoked the licenses of 33 ‘educational providers’. 56 providers have also been suspended, with 32 of these still suspended and the other 24 being reinstated.
One such college which has had its license revoked is the London Education and Development Academy. The Academy’s license was suspended on 10 September 2009 and revoked on 9 November 2010.
Following an unannounced visit by the UKBA last year it was found that:
- language tests to ensure foreign students spoke the required level of English were not being monitored
- student qualifications and documents were not being checked
- several students had supplied false documentation to support their application
The UKBA are still talking to educational regulators in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as other oversight bodies involved in the independent schools sector.
Further announcements will follow in relation to colleges in these countries and faith schools.
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