MPs slate plans to cut funding for second degrees
Government proposals to cut funding for graduates who want to retrain as pharmacists have been dealt a blow after investigation by a Parliamentary committee.
The conclusions of the House of Commons Select Committee on Innovation,
Universities and Skills are good news for academic pharmacists concerned
that the changes — which would prevent graduates receiving funding
if they enrol on an undergraduate pharmacy degree programme — could
damage professional recruitment and threaten the financial viability
of some pharmacy schools.
David Taylor, professor of pharmaceutical and public health policy at
the School of Pharmacy, University of London, who objects
to the changes (PJ, 5/12 January 2008, p14) said this week: “These are
very serious criticisms of Government policy which have been raised by
this
Parliamentary
committee.
“I very much hope that all pharmacists will do their best to draw
the attention of their local MPs to these valuable recommendations, and
ask
them to help ensure that the future of pharmacy isn’t damaged,
especially in light of this week’s White Paper on pharmacy.”
The MPs’ report, published last week, condemned the Government’s
consultation on the changes to funding students who want to take a second
undergraduate degree as “inadequately examined”. The decision
to cut funding was “insufficiently justified”, it said.
The committee also said that the courses and professions exempted from
the new ruling were inconsistent, highlighting the exemption of students
studying Turkish, but not those studying pharmacy.
The MPs said that any proposed changes to the funding system should be
left to the 2009 independent review of tuition fees.
“In our view, the Government has not shown convincing evidence
that the withdrawal of funding for ELQ [equivalent and lower qualifications]
students
and the phased reallocation of the resources will meet its policy objective
to encourage more suitably qualified individuals to start higher education
for the first time,” the report says.
The MPs want the Government to bring forward a planned review of exemptions
from this December to the summer. They also want to see a full consultation
take place as part of the review, which should also consider the financial
implications of any changes.
The committee said that the Government should “urgently” produce
guidance for students and higher education institutions about the new
funding restrictions to clarify the
responsibilities of the institutions and who should foot the bill if
a student is mistakenly funded.
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