Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 30 May (HL7441), what assessment have they made of whether making adjustments in the assessment and marking of work by students who self-declare the conditions referenced is "reasonable" when compared to those who do not.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The department does not directly influence how universities assess a student's work. Universities have autonomy over their assessment methods and academic standards.
The Office for Students (OfS), established under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, regulates higher education providers in England. It ensures that universities meet certain standards for teaching quality, student outcomes and financial sustainability. While the OfS sets the regulatory framework, universities retain the freedom to design and implement their own assessment methods.
The OfS requires universities to meet certain standards for accessibility and support for disabled students. This includes making reasonable adjustments in assessments to ensure that disabled students are not disadvantaged. These adjustments can include alternative formats for exams, extended deadlines, and other accommodations tailored to individual needs.
While universities retain autonomy over their specific assessment methods, they must comply with these broader regulatory requirements to ensure fair and equitable treatment of disabled students. This is also supported by guidance provided as part of the Disabled Student Commitment scheme launched by the Disabled Students' Commission.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government further to Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 8 May (HL6802), how many higher education students self-assessed as having a learning difference such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, AD(H)D, social/communication conditions such as a speech and language impairment, or an autistic spectrum condition in each year since 2015; and how many assessment results took these conditions into account, in each year since 2015.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The numbers of students declaring the conditions referenced are published in detail on the Higher Education Statistics Agency website here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-15.
The ways in which higher education providers (HEPs) best support these students is based on the individual needs of the student.
HEPs have responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for all their disabled students. Wherever possible, disabled students should expect to have their needs met through inclusive learning practices and individual reasonable adjustments made by their HEPs. They are also entitled to reasonable adjustments in the assessment and marking of their work to ensure that they are not disadvantaged. Students should discuss their needs, provide any appropriate evidence and work with the university's support services to identify and implement suitable adjustments.
Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is available for eligible students in addition to the reasonable adjustments made by HEPs for the provision of more specialist support, such as ergonomic equipment and assistive software. To be eligible for DSA, students must be eligible for higher education student finance and must have a disability as defined in the Equality Act 2010.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 14 April (HL6368), what estimate they have made of the number of university students who self-identify as neurodivergent.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
There is no set category for ‘neurodivergence’, so included in this figure are higher education (HE) student enrolments flagged as ‘Learning difference such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or AD(H)D’ and ‘Social/communication conditions such as a speech and language impairment or an autistic spectrum condition’.
Across all levels and modes of study and all domiciles, 245,810 HE student enrolments self-assessed in this way for the 2023/24 academic year across all UK HE providers.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the use of artificial intelligence to cheat during university examinations in England.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The government has not made an assessment of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to cheat during university examinations in England. The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator for universities.
Universities are independent and autonomous bodies responsible for designing their own policies regarding the use of AI and for taking steps to prevent academic misconduct.
As the independent regulator for higher education (HE) in England, the OfS places conditions of registration on HE providers that are designed to protect students. Condition B4 covers fair and effective assessments, as well as tackling academic misconduct.
Where it detects that a provider is at risk of breaching its conditions of registration, the OfS has the power to investigate and impose sanctions where appropriate.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of the Office for Students in protecting the interests of university students self-identifying as neurodivergent.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education (HE) in England and aims to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of HE that enriches their life and career.
The OfS is committed to supporting an inclusive experience of HE for disabled students and uses a range of regulatory tools in order to identify issues and support continuous improvement.
The OfS uses access and participation plans to support and challenge the HE sector to improve equality of opportunity. These are agreements that set out how universities and colleges will improve equality of opportunity for disadvantaged groups, including learners with learning difficulties or disabilities, to access, succeed in and progress from HE.
In the summer, we will set out our plan for HE reform and the part we expect HE providers to play in improving access and outcomes for all disadvantaged students.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of support for profoundly deaf students in higher education in England.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The department wants to break down the barriers to opportunity, ensuring that people of all ages and backgrounds can undertake activities which provide them with the skills and knowledge to support them throughout their education and into employment.
Higher education providers (HEPs) have responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for all their disabled students. Wherever possible, disabled students should expect to have their needs met through inclusive learning practices and individual reasonable adjustments made by their HEPs.
Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is available to help students with the additional costs they may face in higher education (HE) because of their disability.
DSA can be used for the purchase of specialist equipment, for travel or to pay for non-medical help, which is the human support provided to students to enable them to access their studies. DSA is not means tested and does not have to be repaid.
DSA support for deaf students can include, for example, British Sign Language support, a specialist notetaker, computers, assistive software and specialist equipment, such as radio aids.
All HEPs registered with the Office for Students (OfS) that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an Access and Participation Plan (APP) approved by the Director for Fair Access and Participation at the OfS. APPs articulate how HEPS will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups. HEPs should consider the Equality of Opportunity Risk Register published by the OfS which details 12 key risks to equality of opportunity within HE and the student groups most at risk, including disabled students.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of barriers for young white males from poorer backgrounds in securing places at university.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Access to higher education (HE) should be based on a student’s attainment and their ability to succeed, rather than background.
In November 2021, the department issued guidance to the Office for Students (OfS), asking it to refocus the access and participation regime to create a system that supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds throughout their education. This includes white working-class boys who continue to see lower entry rates than students from other ethnic groups, and from higher income households.
The OfS is working closely with providers to ensure a focus on delivering social justice by making getting on at university as important as getting in, and specifically on activities which have a direct impact on student attainment. Providers are also being encouraged to offer a greater array of pathways into HE, including more vocational and technical courses, and degree apprenticeships, so that more students can identify opportunities that match career ambitions, and so that employers can access the skills they need.
A large number of HE providers have drafted variations to their current access and participation plans to be implemented from September 2023. This will be followed by a full rewrite of their plans in line with these new priorities.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued to (1) universities, and (2) colleges, on what help they provide to Ukrainian students in their studies.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The department is grateful to the higher and further education sectors for their extremely positive response in offering significant support to Ukrainian students and universities.
The Office for Students, the higher education regulator in England, has published information for providers on the crisis in Ukraine, which can be found here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/regulation/information-for-providers-on-the-crisis-in-ukraine. The department has also published guidance for colleges, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/helping-ukrainian-students-in-schools.
The department continues to work closely with the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science, and universities and colleges in England to ensure that students who are affected by the war in Ukraine are supported, and have a range of options available to them during this difficult time.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the standards of degree apprenticeships being provided for students in the service industries.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. I have asked its Chief Executive, Jennifer Coupland, to write to my noble Friend and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses when it is available.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the tables published by different UK organisations ranking universities, and (2) the availability of independent oversight or verification of the accuracy of such tables.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
There is a variety of ranking systems and information sources which are published independently of government which are not verified. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (the designated data body for England), collects and makes openly available standardised data about UK higher education providers, so that it can be re-used by third parties.
The government’s focus is on ensuring all higher education providers deliver a high-quality academic experience. ‘Discover Uni’ is owned and operated by the UK higher education funding and regulatory bodies and is an official, reliable source of information to guide student choices. The Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework is the Office for Student’s scheme for rating the quality of higher education in England, as part of its wider quality regime to help ensure all students benefit from high-quality provision.