Call for Evidence opens for review of post-18 education

The panel is seeking views from all interested parties on the four areas it has been asked to consider:

• Choice: identifying ways to help people make more effective choices between the different options available after 18, so they can make more informed decisions about their futures.
• Value for money: looking at how students and graduates contribute to the cost of their studies, to ensure funding arrangements across post-18 education in the future are transparent and do not stop people from accessing higher education or training.
• Access: enabling people from all backgrounds to progress and succeed in post-18 education, while also examining how disadvantaged students receive additional financial support from the government, universities and colleges.
• Skills provision: making sure we have a post-18 education system that is providing the skills that employers need.

Chair of the review panel Philip Augar said:

This is an ambitious and wide-ranging review. We begin with no preconceptions. Our priority is to undertake a thorough examination of the evidence and to hear from a broad range of stakeholders who like us are committed to ensuring the system works for everyone.

I very much hope that many of you will contribute to our call for evidence so that the review will be able to deliver a system that incentivizes choice and competition, improves access and delivers the skills the economy needs in a way that provides value for students and taxpayers.

The call for evidence will run until Wednesday 2 May 2018. The independent panel will publish their report at an interim stage and the review will conclude in early 2019.

The independent panel supporting the Government’s Review of Post-18 Education and Funding invites interested individuals and organisations to submit evidence to inform its work.

All interested parties are encouraged to submit evidence for the panel’s consideration. 

Responses are particularly welcome from:

• education and training providers,
• academics,  
• employers,
• students,
• learners,
• graduates,
• student representative groups,
• professional representative groups and
• learned societies
• as well as from the public.

Those making submissions are asked not to exceed 4000 words in total (an average of 250 words per question if answering all of them) and are strongly encouraged to provide details of the evidence and data that support their positions, to enable the panel to understand the basis on which those conclusions have been reached.

The online system allows attachments to be uploaded with your response.

Please note that you are welcome to respond to as many, or as few, questions from this consultation as you wish.

Why the Consultation

The review will consider how Government can ensure that the education system in England for those aged 18 years and over is:

• accessible to all;
• supported by a funding system that provides value for money and works for students and taxpayers;
• incentivises choice and competition across the sector; and
• encourages the development of the skills that we need as a country. 

The independent review panel, led by Philip Augar, will provide input to the review on the issues above. The panel will publish their report at an interim stage, before the Government concludes the overall review in early 2019.

In particular, the panel is seeking evidence from interested parties on the following topics:

• how to support young people in making effective choices between academic, technical and vocational routes after 18;
• how to promote a more dynamic market in education and training provision;
• how to ensure the post-18 education system is accessible to all;
• how best to support education outcomes that deliver the skills the UK needs; and
• how the post-18 education system can best deliver value for money for graduates and the taxpayer.

The survey sets out some specific questions under these headings. 

The Terms of Reference for the review are available here.