HC Deb 23 November 1990 vol 181 cc218-9W
Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to be in a position to respond on behalf of the Government to the conclusions reached by the report of the review of the Council for National Academic Awards.

Mr. Alan Howarth

I cannot yet say. The Government recognise the support for some change revealed by the consultations on the report's recommendations. However, the right for institutions to award their own degrees cannot be taken as an issue on its own. The report also raises important questions about which institutions should have this right, and about the nature of future quality assurance arrangements. We need to consider these further.

Mr. Kirkwood

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will set out the criteria currently required of those who seek to qualify for Council for National Academic Awards status; and whether any changes are proposed in future;

(2) if he will make a statement as to how the estimated numbers likely to secure Council for National Academic Awards status as set out in paragraph 10.7 of his Department's review of the Council for National Academic Awards were arrived at;

(3) what representations he has received from those institutions which may be denied Council for National Academic Awards status as proposed by the conclusions of the committee reviewing the Council for National Academic Awards.

Mr. Alan Howarth

Any educational institution or training organisation may apply to the Council for National Academic Awards for validation of its courses. If successful it is granted "associated" status and may later seek "accredited" status. The departmental policy review of the CNAA recommended that associated status should be phased out over a period, and that associated institutions should either seek to become accredited or should look to other educational institutions to validate their courses. Around half the 80 responses to the review have been from institutions with associated status, or from bodies whose membership includes such institutions. The Government are still considering their response to the review in the light of the consultations.

The estimate in the policy review of the number of institutions which might neither want, nor qualify for, accredited status was a matter for the review team.

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