Dons win battle to halt scrutiny by inspectors

PLANS FOR tough external inspections of universities to hold dons to account for their teaching have been abandoned after a revolt by vice- chancellors, a confidential report says.

All new students will pay pounds 1,000 a year tuition fees from this autumn and ministers have said that undergraduates must be assured of the quality of courses. They believe that students will be much more demanding on standards if they are paying for their teaching.

Universities appoint their own external examiners who check the standard of students' work, advise on teaching methods and course content and report back to the university. But critics say the arrangements are too cosy and last summer's report by Sir Ron Dearing, chairman of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, which recommended the introduction of tuition fees, said the system should be strengthened to make colleges more accountable.

The Quality Assurance Agency, which monitors university standards, put forward proposals earlier this year for a team of registered external examiners to check course standards and report to the agency as well as continuing in their present role. That would have introduced into universities some elements of the inspection system used in schools by the Office for Standards in Education. But a confidential report seen by The Independent shows that the agency has backed off after an outcry from vice-chancellors at leading universities who said the new system would put academic freedom and university autonomy under threat.

The confidential report dated 6 May, from John Randall, the agency's chief executive, shows that the proposals have been revised to offer a much lighter touch. "The main burden of external subject review is lifted," it says. "Self-assessment is at the heart of the model."

Sir Stewart Sutherland, principal of Edinburgh University, welcomed the decision to revise the proposals and said universities should have a different inspection system from schools, which had a national curriculum. "Universities must retain the responsibility for setting their own degree standards," he said.

Mr Randall, however, yesterday said that the paper did not dilute the original proposal. "The plans are still being developed to meet the demand for greater accountability and more public information," he said.

The report says teaching standards should be assessed by the universities with the agency "sampling" to check that the assessments are correct. There should be an approved register of external examiners, but these would still be appointed by universities and would not report directly to the agency. The report says the system would provide information about universities for students and the public, but some of it would come from assessments published by the universities.

There had also been objections to the suggestion in the Dearing report that some academics might spend as much as 60 days a year inspecting, and questioned whether enough candidates would come forward. "People of the highest standard want to teach rather than inspecting other people's teaching," Sir Stewart said.

Paul Cottrell, assistant general secretary of the Association of University Teachers, welcomed the changes, but said he supported the recommendation in the Dearing report that the external examiner's role should be strengthened and was concerned that it should not be abandoned. "We should like to have a formal system of external examiners, properly trained, recognised and properly remunerated."

He said the report suggested that the new arrangements would mean a lighter touch than at present because self-assessment would play a more important part.

A spokesman for the committee of vice-chancellors and principals said the revision was a basis for negotiation.