QAA publishes responses to Medr and Welsh Government consultations on a new regulatory system

QAA has published its responses to consultations opened by the Welsh Government and by Medr, Wales's Commission for Tertiary Education and Research.

QAA has responded to Medr's Consultation on a new regulatory system including conditions of registration and funding and the Welsh Government's consultation on the regulation of higher education providers and designation for student support.

In its response to the Welsh Government consultation, QAA expressed support for the proposal that registration with Medr should be a prerequisite for the automatic designation of Welsh higher education courses for Welsh Government student support.

It also recognised the need for greater oversight and regulation of partnership provision and supported efforts to ensure that all providers benefiting from automatic designation for Welsh Government student support are operating within a regulated, quality-assured framework – while noting that effective regulation must be proportionate, and advocating for a holistic model of oversight grounded in the UK Quality Code for Higher Education.

It went on to observe that the existing external review system in Wales already provides assurance over the quality and governance of partnership provision, including the scrutiny of awarding providers’ oversight arrangements.

QAA's full response to that consultation can be read here.

In its response to the Medr consultation, QAA welcomed the intention to develop a regulatory approach that applies consistently across the tertiary education sector, noting that the emphasis on proportionality, transparency and risk-based engagement provides a solid foundation for this ambition, and encouraging greater clarity around how the approach will accommodate the diversity of providers and the differing levels of complexity and risk across the sector.

It also pointed out that the distinction between supportive engagement and regulatory enforcement could be made more explicit, and further clarity on how issues identified through monitoring or external review feed into the decision to intervene would enhance transparency and sector confidence.

QAA's full response to that consultation can be read here.