Universities to be fined for awarding too many top degrees

[rangerrebew]

Universities to be fined for awarding too many top degrees

Mar 25, 2019 by The Guardian (UK)
Education secretary Damian Hinds to take tough measures on institutions found guilty of artificial grade inflation

Michael Savage –

British universities must slash the number of top degrees they award or risk undermining their world-class reputation, the education secretary has warned.

Damian Hinds said there had been a steep and unjustifiable rise in the awarding of first-class degrees, urging universities to “reset the norm” by handing out a higher proportion of 2:1s. Offending universities could face fines, or even be prevented from awarding degrees at all.

His warning comes after recent evidence of grade inflation in higher education. In 2016-17, 27% of students obtained a first-class honours degree from English universities, according to the Office for Students (OfS). It marked a major increase from the 16% who secured the score in 2010-11. More than three-quarters of all university students (78%) obtain an upper degree, meaning a first or a 2:1, up from 67% in 2010-11.

http://www.educationviews.org/universities-to-be-fined-for-awarding-too-many-top-degrees/

[rangerrebew]

  institutions found guilty of artificial grade inflation
 

A common practice in the U.S. also, so the feelings of too many failing students are saved.

[jmyrlefuller]

And it only hurts those who earned their degrees honestly, since it inflates the labor market and makes it more difficult to stand out in the pool and get a good career.