The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee is launching
an inquiry into the Office for Students (OfS), the regulator of
the higher education sector in England.
The inquiry will scrutinise whether the statutory duties of the
OfS are clear and examine its performance against those duties
since its establishment.
It will also look at:
- how the OfS’ regulatory framework has developed since its
inception,
- its independence from and relationship with the Government,
- whether it has the necessary expertise and resources to carry
out its functions.
The OfS’ work in relation to the financial sustainability of the
higher education sector will also be examined. This will include
consideration of whether the OfS oversees systemic financial
risks in the sector, such as the reliance of some universities on
overseas students, how the OfS considers and manages these risks,
and the potential consequences of and processes for the failure
of providers.
The Committee is seeking evidence from higher education providers
and other relevant stakeholders on a number of questions,
including:
- are the OfS’ statutory duties clear and appropriate? How
successful has the OfS been in performing these duties, and have
some duties been prioritised over others?
- does the OfS have sufficient powers, resources, and expertise
to meet its duties? How has its expertise been affected by the
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education’s decision not to
continue as the OfS’ Designated Quality Body?
- how does the OfS measure value for money for students? How
can this be measured in an objective, tangible way that is not
based on economic or political judgements about the value of
subject areas or types of institution?
- how does the OfS engage with students? To what extent does
input from students drive the OfS’ view of their interests and
its regulatory actions to protect those interests?
- what is the nature of the OfS’ relationship with
universities? Does the OfS strike the right balance between
working collaboratively with universities and providing robust
challenge?
- how does the OfS oversee the financial sustainability of
higher education providers and the higher education sector? Is
its approach clear, and is its oversight sufficient to spot
potential risks early on and take action accordingly?
- to what extent is the financial sustainability of providers
determined by government policy and funding rather than the OfS’
regulation? Is there a need for policy change or further clarity
to ensure the sustainability of the sector?
, the Chair of the Industry and
Regulators Committee, said:
“As the regulator for higher education in England, the Office for
Students has an important role in ensuring our universities and
higher education providers are high-quality institutions which
serve their students. The Office for Students is a relatively new
regulator, having only become fully operational in 2019. However,
since then, the way in which it oversees higher education
providers has evolved and changed. We therefore feel an inquiry
to scrutinise its work is both necessary and timely. The focus of
our inquiry will be the suitability of the OfS’ remit and its
statutory duties, as well as its role in relation to the
financial sustainability of the higher education sector.”
The complete list of questions, plus details how to submit
evidence by the deadline of Friday 7 April, can
be found on the Committee’s website.
Notes to editors
- The call for evidence url is https://committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/3068
-
The Industry and Regulators
Committee considers matters relating to industry, including
the policies of His Majesty’s Government to promote industrial
growth, skills, and competitiveness, and to scrutinise the work
of UK regulators.
