Ciara Sowerby’s Post

National Student Survey (NSS) 2024 Results of this massive annual Govt survey were out on Wed last week. It’s been going 20 years and is still a useful insight into the experience of students at each UK University in their final year. The data is quite hard to decipher for a first timer but Times Higher Education has crunched the numbers and ranked all 149 UK Universities as an average of the questions. The data confirms that a wide range of universities have high scores and any impression that the Russell Group (RG) hold the monopoly on “quality” is perhaps again open to question? This issue is discussed regularly on socials so these data are important. My own University of Northampton comes ahead of 22 of the 24 RG members for example, based on this ranking - excellent and deserved. Quality and great student experience in UK HE is broad, deep and wide. Our/your students are all different and the diversity of UK HE is something to celebrate. The Times Higher Education website is free but you have to register. The excellent Wonkhe site also crunches the numbers (no registration needed). https://lnkd.in/eCF4K9qc

Basic literacy skills are the cornerstone of academic success, paving the way for lifelong learning and opportunity. While recent statistics reveal an upward trend in matriculation pass rates, it's crucial to delve deeper and examine the instructional practices and qualifications of our educators. Strengthening the literacy expertise of our teaching force is paramount if we aim to truly cultivate a generation of empowered learners. Research by organisations such as South African National Literacy Initiative (SANLI) highlights the crucial role of specialized literacy training for educators. emphasizes the positive correlation between teachers' literacy knowledge and student outcomes. Educators equipped with specialised pedagogical skills in areas like phonics, fluency, and comprehension are better positioned to deliver effective and targeted interventions, ultimately leading to improved reading abilities and academic performance across subjects. Furthermore, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) findings shed light on the interplay between teacher qualifications and student achievement. The 2021 PIRLS South African report reveals that teachers with advanced literacy training demonstrate a deeper understanding of assessment techniques, instructional strategies, and the intricacies of language acquisition. This proficiency translates into enhanced student engagement, improved reading fluency, and a stronger foundation for learning across the curriculum. Against this backdrop, the need to attract and retain highly qualified literacy educators becomes apparent. Policymakers and stakeholders must prioritise investments in comprehensive teacher training programs, ongoing mentorship initiatives, and targeted recruitment strategies. By actively cultivating a cadre of passionate and skilled literacy champions, we can ensure equitable access to quality instruction, empowering every learner to reach their full potential. Investing in our educators is not just an investment in education; it's an investment in the future of South Africa. The South African education system needs to commit to equipping teachers with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to nurture a nation of confident readers, writers, and critical thinkers. By doing so, we can unlock the boundless potential of our youth and propel our nation towards a brighter, more literate future.

A new report covering an analysis of degree classifications over time has been published by the Office for Students, which investigates trends in UK graduate attainment from 2010-11 to 2022-23. The report highlights the shifting proportion of students achieving first and upper second class degrees. Notably, the percentage of first or upper second class degree recipients peaked during the pandemic years, with 84.5% in 2020-21. However, by 2022-23, this figure had dropped to 77.6%, falling below 2018-19 levels. The attached chart showcases the evolution of first and upper second class degree attainment over this period. While the pandemic brought unprecedented spikes, the recent dip suggests that institutions may be rebalancing their grading practices. Unexplained attainment—a key finding from the report—remains significant, with 11 percentage points of the 2022-23 outcomes being statistically unaccounted for. Looking beyond the report, insights from Universities UK and the Higher Education Policy Institute suggest this recent decline might reflect renewed efforts to maintain degree credibility amid concerns over grade inflation. The fluctuating attainment trends highlight the ongoing challenge of aligning academic rigor with evolving student and institutional expectations. Find the report here: https://lnkd.in/eqxCSVyH

HESA: Higher Education Statistics Agency university data delayed... again. Jan > May > August... 😑 What a shambles. By the time we get HESA data on UK university enrolment it's a year out of date anyway. Now it's just two years out of date. We have a real data problem in the higher education industry that they just don't have in the US. What do we need? 🎓 Real time university application data - at the very least weekly application data for all universities including UG/PG split, nationality, course etc. 🏘 Student addresses - The amount of universities I work with who don't have any idea where their students are living is staggering. 👩💼 Graduate outcome data - what do students go on to do? do they stay in the country of study? how much do they earn? Data over 5 years ideally. Why do we need it? So that universities can effectively plan their recruitment strategies to create sustainable business models. So that the private PBSA sector can provide support to the housing needs of students by building or acquiring properties in the right locations. So that students can see their likely outcomes depending on their university and course. 🗣📢 What do we want? Better data. When do we need it? Now! and repeat... #highered #intled #pbsa #studentaccommodation #studenthousing #studyabroad #graduateoutcomes #postgraduate #students #internationalstudents #data Office for Students Department for Education Russell Group of Universities Higher Education Policy Institute Times Higher Education Universities UK UCAS https://lnkd.in/ewpBT9hz

During the COVID pandemic, many universities adopted a test-optional application review policy. What this means is that they did not require students to submit standardised test scores, but they would still review your SAT or ACT scores if you submitted them. It’s unclear how many schools will be sticking with this policy post-COVID. Some colleges, like Columbia University, have implemented permanently. Whereas others, like MIT, Dartmouth, Harvard and Yale, have all reinstated their testing requirements. While a test-optional policy may work in your favour if you don’t have strong test results, it’s best to err on the side of caution by submitting your test results because your marks could put you in a better position than someone who does not. Curious about the test-optional data for the schools on your best-fit college list? Click here to see which US colleges consider test scores to be important when submitting your application.

Office for Students has just reported that 39 percent of higher education providers are likely to have less than 30 days' liquidity next academic year. That's 113 providers. With a super basic, 'back of the envelope' calculation, this probably means *at least* a million students are studying at these providers. That is, if you add up all the students studying at 113 providers selected at random (and repeat this with different random providers), the total will almost always be over 1 million students. There are likely a whole bunch of other known and unknown factors associated with vulnerability, but any which way, that's A LOT of students (not to mention an awful lot of staff). https://lnkd.in/e4_JQHcy

1987. That’s the year the world of Australian higher education made the shift from male to female. That year, 49.88% higher ed students were male and 50.12% were female, the first time in Australian educational history. The first recorded numbers – 1950 – show 78.43% male and 21.57% female students. The latest – in 2023 - show 39.59% male and 60.41% female students. Our numbers are astonishingly similar to those in the USA, but US higher ed “turned female” in 1979, eight years before Australia. In other words, the higher (university) education student is predominantly female – although not necessarily reflected in academic staff numbers, which still skew male. (Vocational education student percentages are roughly 50-50, because of large numbers of traditionally “male” trade training, but that’s another discussion.) The Australian numbers come from the Commonwealth Department of Education courtesy of Andrew Norton in his fabulous Mapping Australian Higher Education data set. What does this data tell us about our society, and what are the implications for our politics? Questions to consider. https://lnkd.in/g8cNwyT5

This is an interesting update on where we are with university finances. According to the Office for Students, the financial problems look set to get worse with a senior official stating “Cash flow is down, surpluses are down, liquidity is down, international student numbers are down. The only thing that’s up is the number and size of deficits - and both are expected to rise.” What is also noteworthy that there will be an update soon on a report it published on financial sustainability in May this year which means we will have some idea of the challenges facing universities in England (but not Wales unfortunately). Hopefully, this will finally force the UK Government to address the serious issues facing higher education. https://lnkd.in/eVbiwj7Q

A new Report from the Higher Education Policy Institute shows reductions in student demand in England, which are already affecting the higher education sector, will cause serious problems as the number of 18-year-olds in the population declines after 2030. https://lnkd.in/eWheharg

📰 Ontario Government Considers Financial Support for Colleges and Universities According to Global News, a senior Government of Ontario source has indicated plans to provide "financial support" to colleges and universities in response to the recommendations put forth by the blue ribbon panel. The panel has proposed a 10% increase in funding per student for the 2024-25 academic year, with additional yearly increases of at least 2%. At this point, it remains unclear whether the full financial recommendations outlined in the report will be implemented. Stay informed by reading the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g5DUrAwp #ontarioeducation #highereducation #government #newsupdate