Completed petition A Fair Deal for Welsh Students
We call upon the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh government to address growing commercialisation and introduce an open and transparent system to scrutinise the standards of service to students and value for public money offered by the Higher Education sector in Wales, and to ensure changes in service levels are subject to public consultation. To include: 1. A Welsh student complaints process with compulsory compensation, greater transparency and accountability than the current English scheme. 2. The teaching aspect of Higher Education Institutions should be subject to similar standards and safeguards as schools and colleges. 3. Statutory regulation, the Quality Assurance Agency as a registered charity with no powers of intervention is no longer fit for purpose. 4. The Letter of Understanding between the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to provide value for money should include public complaint via the Welsh Audit Office. 5. An effective Whistle Blower process.
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With deregulation and massive increase in tuition fees, student vulnerabilities and rights as consumers has failed to keep up with the commercialisation of Higher Education Institutions as Charity Companies. Student loans are one of the biggest financial commitments facing young people and could last a lifetime making students vulnerable. Higher Education Institutions while in receipt of public money are not in the public sector they are autonomous, staff cannot be charged with misconduct in public office. Standards should match those being brought into place in other institutions and services to provide a balance between autonomy and accountability. The Welsh Government should uphold the law and clarify its legal right to speak out against failing Universities to avoid political interference or the concealment of maladministration; any institution failing to comply with its articles of government or Royal Charter should not be in receipt of public money or allowed to trade.
This petition was considered by the Petitions Committee
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