The 1994 Group welcomes Part Time Matters campaign to back benefits of part-time study

21-5-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — The 1994 Group welcomed the launch of the Part Time Matters campaign this week to promote the benefits of part-time study.

In February this year the 1994 Group called for such a campaign following HESA data which revealed that the number of students graduating from part-time courses in 2012 dropped by 5.3% and 7% for undergraduate and postgraduate students respectively.

The 1994 Group followed up this call for support by producing a policy briefing to identify some of the concerns. The HE Briefing: The decline of part-time study looks at the benefits of part-time study, the issues which could be affecting demand, the implications for the HE sector and the action needed to reverse this trend.

A report published by HEFCE in March, Impact of the 2012 reforms revealed that: “Since 2010-11, part-time undergraduate entrants have fallen by 105,000 (40 per cent), while on postgraduate programmes the fall was 25,000 (27 per cent).”

The Part Time Matters initiative, which has been launched to coincide with Adult Learners’ Week (18-24 May), is supported by a number of organisations, including Universities UK and 1994 Group member, Birkbeck, University of London.

In a recent interview Birkbeck’s Professor Claire Callender spoke to the 1994 Group about the challenges facing part-time study. This includes the new loans system: “Two thirds of students are ineligible for the new loans and yet they are faced with much higher fees that they have to pay-upfront,” said Prof Callender.

Prof Callender, Professor of Higher Education Policy at Birkbeck, has also written a blog for the 1994 Group identifying the benefits of P-T study for the individual and for society.

“There is much to celebrate about part-time study and its life-changing rewards,” states Prof Callender.

The 1994 Group supports the Part Time Matters campaign and we look forward to seeing the results and recommendations of the review established by Universities UK (due to be published in October).

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