AoC responds to DfE consultation on the OfS regulatory framework

Today, the Department for Education has published a consultation on the OFS regulatory framework. In response, Julian Gravatt, Deputy Chief Executive at the Association of Colleges, said: "Colleges have offered affordable, local and employment focused higher education across the country ‎for decades. Around 150,000 students in over 200 colleges benefit from these opportunities each year. The Minister is right that more choice is needed to provide alternatives to the three year residential full-time degree and colleges are well-placed to deliver this. The Department for Education’s (DfE's) consultation published today sets out a new framework to regulate higher education. Any new rules must not unnecessarily duplicate existing FE rules or add to costs, and AoC will be highlighting this to the department. It is also important that colleges can make proper arrangements to validate their courses to avoid some of the problems that occur when a university withdraws from doing this at short notice. We want to see a genuine level playing field for colleges in the new HE landscape."