New quality assurance arrangements in further education

2July 2008

Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, today announced that the Quality Assurance Agency will be charged with quality assuring higher education provision in all six of Northern Ireland’s Further Education colleges from academic year 2008/09 onwards.

The decision follows a recent review by the Department for Employment and Learning of its policies in relation to the delivery of Higher Education in the Further Education sector.

Making the announcement, the Minister said: “These new quality assurance arrangements will bring a consistency of approach and uniformity across the higher education sector in Northern Ireland, and a parity of outcomes of Higher Education provision, regardless of where it is delivered.

“My Department is looking forward to working closely with the Quality Assurance Agency.  I am confident that the significant expertise that it will bring to this area will help ensure the quality of Higher Education provision in the Further Education sector.”

Sir Reg added: “I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of my Department, to thank the Education and Training Inspectorate for its work to date in this area and for its ongoing role in quality assuring Further Education provision in the Further Education sector.”

“The Quality Assurance Agency and the Education and Training Inspectorate share a common mission to raise standards, ensure qualifications are sound and encourage continuous improvement for the benefit of learners. I am confident that these two organisations will, through sharing information and evidence available, ensure an effective and less burdensome review service to our Further Education colleges.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

  1. The decision follows a recent review by the Department for Employment and Learning of its policies in relation to the delivery of Higher Education in the Further Education sector, which was recommended in the DEL strategy document, “Further Education Means Business”.  The issue of quality assurance was one of a number of key policy areas discussed in a public consultation document issued by the Department in November 2007.  The Quality Assurance Agency is currently responsible for quality assuring Higher Education provision in Northern Ireland’s universities. The vast majority of consultation respondents were highly supportive of the recommendation that they also be engaged to quality assure Higher Education provision in the Further Education sector.
  2. The Quality Assurance Agency is an independent body funded by subscriptions from universities and colleges of higher education, and through contracts with the main higher education funding bodies. Its core business is to review the quality and standards of UK higher education. It does this by auditing the way in which each university and college manages the overall quality and standards of its provision; and by reviewing academic standards and the quality of teaching and learning in each subject area.
  3. The Education and Training Inspectorate provides inspection services for the Department of Education, the Department for Employment and Learning and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and seeks to promote improvement through inspection and the dissemination of findings.
  4. Media enquiries to Department for Employment and Learning Press Office on 028 9025 7872.
  5. Out of office hours, please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager, number 07699 715440.