Government to ‘crack down’ on ‘rip-off’ university courses – which ones could be at risk?

Published

2 years ago

July 17, 2023

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The government has said it wants there to be a cap on the number of students who study so-called “rip-off” university degrees.

The limits will be imposed on courses that have high dropout rates or a low proportion of graduates getting a professional job.

Under the measures, the maximum fee that can be charged for classroom-based foundation year courses will also be reduced to £5,760 – down from £9,250.

The plans, announced by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, are part of the government’s response to the Augar review, established by Theresa May back in 2017.

Among the report’s recommendations – which also included cutting tuition fees and more funding for further education – was an aim to reduce the number of “low value” courses leaving students with poor job prospects.

Under the plans, the Office for Students (OfS) will be asked to limit the number of students universities can recruit to courses that are seen to fail to deliver good outcomes for graduates.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “The UK is home to some of the best universities in the world and studying for a degree can be immensely rewarding.

“But too many young people are being sold a false dream and end up doing a poor quality course at the taxpayers’ expense that doesn’t offer the prospect of a decent job at the end of it.

“That is why we are taking action to crack down on rip-off university courses, while boosting skills training and apprenticeships provision.

“This will help more young people to choose the path that is right to help them reach their potential and grow our economy.”

What courses could be at risk?

The government is yet to specify what courses it is defining as “low value” and which will have student numbers limited by the Office for Students.

Figures released on 6 July by the longitudinal educational outcomes (LEO) database – which connects education data with employment data – suggested which subjects had the highest and lowest employment rates and salaries in the tax year 2020-2021.

Out of the higher education institutions (HEIs) analysed, first degree graduates in languages and area studies, and creative arts and design, had the lowest median proportions in sustained employment, further study or both.

Meanwhile, graduates in nursing and midwifery, and medicine and dentistry, had the highest median proportions.

Further data from the LEO suggested that five years after graduation from HEIs in the UK, medicine and dentistry had a median graduate earning of £52,900, whereas performing arts stood at £21,200.

These findings echo those recommended by the Augar review, which found that male graduates in creative arts, English and philosophy earn less in comparison to peers who did not complete a degree.

It is important to note that some subjects showed wider variations in earnings – for example, computing had a difference of £61,900 between its highest and lowest earners.

This is likely down to the availability of the labour market, and the use of standardised salaries in some sectors, the LEO reported.

Despite suggestions from the data, education minister Robert Halfon denied that the government’s cap is an attack on arts and humanities courses.

“We’re not saying that particular arts courses are going to have limits,” he said when speaking on Times Radio on Monday.

“It may be that in some universities there are arts courses that are leading to good jobs.

“It’s only courses in universities, whatever those courses may be, that lead to poor outcomes – whether that’s continuation, completion of courses or not getting good, skilled jobs at the end – those courses will be the focus of recruitment limits by the Office for Students.”

Data released back in March 2019 by the Higher Education Statistics Agency revealed the degrees with the highest non-continuation rate among first degree entrants at UK HEIs.

It suggested that the five highest courses for non-continuation rates included:
computer science – 9.8%; business & administrative studies – 7.4%; engineering & technology – 7.2%; mass communications & documentation – 7.2%; and creative arts & design – 7.2%.

In comparison, medicine and dentistry and veterinary science students had the lowest non-continuation rate at 1.5%.

The term non-continuation is defined as a student not having obtained the qualification they were originally aiming for. This does not take course changes into account, or students who leave within the first 50 days of the course commencement.

But opposition MPs said the measures amounted to a “cap on aspiration” that will restrict choice for young people.

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the plans were “simply an attack on the aspirations of young people and their families by a government that wants to reinforce the class ceiling, not smash it”.

Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrats’ education spokesperson, accused the prime minister of being “so out of ideas that he’s dug up a new version of a policy the Conservatives have announced and then unannounced twice over”.

She added: “Universities don’t want this. It’s a cap on aspiration, making it harder for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to go on to further study.”

But Sir Philip Augar, the former chair of the Post-18 Education and Funding Review, welcomed the policy.

He told Sky News that while the OfS already has the power to issue fines and regulations on universities and courses that underperform, the plan announced today “puts a bit of teeth into it and it means that they can actually restrict the numbers recruited onto those courses”.

He added: “I’m hoping that there’s a kind of a constructive look at this and that it’s a stick that’s out here that never actually has to be used.”

Susan Lapworth, the chief executive of OfS, said: “Students from all backgrounds are entitled to expect high-quality teaching on courses that lead to successful outcomes after graduation.

“We know that many universities and colleges consistently deliver that for their students.

“But where that’s not the case it’s important that the OfS, as the independent regulator of higher education in England, can intervene to protect the interests of students and taxpayers.

“We look forward to continuing our work on these important issues.”

Politics

Europe’s new chat police: Chat Control legislation nudges forward in the EU

Published

4 hours ago

November 27, 2025

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Europe’s new chat police: Chat Control legislation nudges forward in the EU

Representatives of European Union member states reached an agreement on Wednesday in the Council of the EU to move forward with the controversial “Chat Control” child sexual abuse regulation, which paves the way for new rules targeting abusive child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on messaging apps and other online services.

“Every year, millions of files are shared that depict the sexual abuse of children… This is completely unacceptable. Therefore, I’m glad that the member states have finally agreed on a way forward that includes a number of obligations for providers of communication services,” commented Danish Minister for Justice, Peter Hummelgaard.

The deal, which follows years of division and deadlock among member states and privacy groups, allows the legislative file to move into final talks with the European Parliament on when and how platforms can be required to scan user content for suspected child sexual abuse and grooming.

The existing CSAM framework is set to expire on April 3, 2026, and is on track to be replaced by the new legislation, pending detailed negotiations with European Parliament lawmakers.

EU Chat Control laws: What’s in and what’s out

In its latest draft, the Council maintains the core CSAM framework but modifies how platforms are encouraged to act. Online services would still have to assess how their products can be abused and adopt mitigation measures.

Service providers would also have to cooperate with a newly-established EU Centre on Child Sexual Abuse to support the implementation of the regulation, and face oversight from national authorities if they fall short.

While the latest Council text removes the explicit obligation of mandatory scanning of all private messages, the legal basis for “voluntary” CSAM detection is extended indefinitely. There are also calls for tougher risk obligations for platforms.

A compromise that satisfies neither side

To end the Chat Control stalemate, a team of Danish negotiators in the Council worked to remove the most contentious element: the blanket mandatory scanning requirement. Under previous provisions, end-to-end encrypted services like Signal and WhatsApp would have been required to systematically search users’ messages for illegal material.

Yet, it’s a compromise that leaves both sides feeling shortchanged. Law enforcement officials warn that abusive content will still lurk in the corners of fully encrypted services, while digital rights groups argue that the deal still paves the way for broader monitoring of private communications and potential for mass surveillance, according to a Thusday Politico report.

Lead negotiator and Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs in the European Parliament, Javier Zarzalejos, urged both the Council and Parliament to enter negotiations at once. He stressed the importance of establishing a legislative framework to prevent and combat child sexual abuse online, while respecting encryption.

Law, Government, Europe, Privacy, European Union, Policy — *Source:* *Javier Zarzalejosj*

“I am committed to work with all political groups, the Commission, and member states in the Council in the coming months in order to agree on a legally sound and balanced legislative text that contributes to effectively prevent and combating child sexual abuse online,” he stated.

The Council celebrated the latest efforts to protect children from sexual abuse online; however, former Dutch Member of Parliament Rob Roos lambasted the Council for acting similarly to the “East German era, stripping 450 million EU citizens of their right to privacy.” He warned that Brussels was acting “behind closed doors,” and that “Europe risks sliding into digital authoritarianism.”

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov pointed out that EU officials were exempt from having their messages monitored. He commented in a post on X, “The EU weaponizes people’s strong emotions about child protection to push mass surveillance and censorship. Their surveillance law proposals conveniently exempted EU officials from having their own messages scanned.”

Privacy on trial in broader global crackdown

The latest movement on Chat Control lands in the middle of a broader global crackdown on privacy tools. European regulators and law‑enforcement agencies have pushed high‑profile cases against crypto privacy projects like Tornado Cash, while US authorities have targeted developers linked to Samurai Wallet over alleged money‑laundering and sanctions violations, thrusting privacy‑preserving software into the crosshairs.

In response, Ethereum co‑founder Vitalik Buterin doubled down on the right to privacy as a core value. He donated 128 ETH each (roughly $760,000) to decentralized messaging projects Session and SimpleX Chat, arguing their importance in “preserving our digital privacy.”

Session president Alexander Linton told Cointelegraph that regulatory and technical developments are “threatening the future of private messaging,” while co-founder Chris McCabe said the challenge was now about raising global awareness.

Magazine: 2026 is the year of pragmatic privacy in crypto — Canton, Zcash and more