Ministers told to drop ‘vague attacks’ on course quality

Report asks government to switch attention from courses to improving outcomes for certain students

The government should change its focus from attacking so-called ‘low-value’ courses to looking at how to improve outcomes for disadvantaged students, according to a new report.

A paper published by the access and participation group National Education Opportunities Network (Neon) on 13 October said the government’s focus on the apparent low quality of some courses is less helpful than a drive to create better outcomes for disadvantaged student groups.