Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 24
24
The results of the National Student Survey show that overall student satisfaction was stable at...
Conclusion
The results of the National Student Survey show that overall student satisfaction was stable at 82–83% between 2017 and 2020, falling to 75% in 2021.44 The OfS measures students’ perception of value for money in a separate survey, which, unlike the National Student Survey, is not restricted to final-year undergraduates. In this survey, the proportion of then-current undergraduates saying that university offered good value for money fell from 38% in 2020 to 33% in 2021, and the proportion saying it did not rose from 48% to 54%.45 We asked the OfS whether it was concerned by these figures. The OfS told us that value for money is one of its four regulatory priorities. It agreed that the proportion of students thinking that their course was value for money was a very low figure and “absolutely” a cause for concern. The OfS assured us that it saw tackling the situation as a priority. It explained that a lot of the OfS’s work would be looking to reverse that, primarily by addressing issues of quality, where students think they are not getting the quality that they deserve.46
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Autumn 2022 5.2 Both the department and the OfS are committed to improving the quality of higher education provision. Ensuring that students are satisfied with the value for money offered by their courses is a government priority. 5.3 The OfS is introducing an enhanced quality regulatory regime which will enable it, through robust investigation and enforcement action, to tackle the pockets of low-quality provision. This will include the introduction in September 2022 of detailed student outcome thresholds, by level and mode of study, covering continuation and completion rates and progression to managerial and professional employment or further study. In May 2022 the OfS also introduced new registration conditions covering students’ academic experience including course design and delivery, the provision of resources and support for students, reliable and effective course assessment and degree awards, and the use of sector-recognised standards. 5.4 The OfS is also considering how it measures value for money through its key performance measures and is considering the use of student surveys and the use of student outcomes data, described earlier, as part of this measure. 5.5 The OfS review of blended learning, which is supported by a panel of expert academic reviewers, will set out where approaches represent high quality teaching and learning, as well as approaches that are likely to fall short of OfS’s requirements. The review will report in September 2022. The OfS also recently announced investigations into the business and management courses of eight providers, which will include examining whether online learning has replaced face-to-face teaching to the detriment of students’ academic experience.