Ever since the Conservatives took office in 2010 (first in coalition and then as a single party) they have promised a shakeup of the degree system. One of the biggest targets was lower performing students studying so-called “mickey mouse” degrees. A review of the current university funding system made several conclusions at the end of December and it made several proposals.
Explaining Mickey Mouse Degrees
Part of the concern of the present system is that too many students are going to universities to study degrees many perceive as useless. Margaret Hodge coined the term “mickey mouse degree”, referring to those with little to no value in the workplace and where standards are not rigorous. Degrees in such soft subjects as “Golf Course Management” and “Tourism” are usually included in the list. As is “journalism” where media jobs still prefer English language degrees.
Often, these are perceived as academically useless to the student and in the workplace. Many feel they are designed purely for generating cash for the university both from students and from government for research for programmes and projects. Such soft subjects are usually open to students with poor A-Level results to get them into a university system. Others argue that such students are not academically gifted and ought to make better use of their time in vocational and other practical courses of study.
Philip Augar’s Recommendations
Augar’s report recommended that students who receive low grades such as all Ds in their A-Levels should be automatically refused student loans. Instead, they should be offered guidance and funding to nudge them towards vocational courses to learn practical skills for the workplace and for their own career development. Funnelling non-academic students who left college with A-levels may be the solution we need to a shortage in certain trades and vocational roles.
In another measure that may surprise many in government, Augar recommended a considerable reduction in the annual tuition fee from £9,250 to around the £6,500-£7,000 mark.
Mixed Reactions
The measures have been received with both criticism and praise. From Universities UK, the message is critical, pointing out that the report will take away the dreams of this summer’s GCSE students who were hoping to go to university. But UCAS is concerned about the trend of lower performing students being offered university places to study soft degrees. They reported that over 80% of students with the equivalent points of Triple D in their A-levels were offered unconditional places at their university of choice. This has increased year on year with under 75% offered the same in the academic year that began in 2017.
Further, UCAS reported that 1/3 of all students are offered unconditional places on average.