Our response to the 2015 Higher Education Green Paper
We have responded to the Government's Higher Education Green Paper 'Fulfilling our potential: teaching excellence, social mobility, and student choice'.
We believe that the Green Paper is an important set of proposals, outlining changes required to build on the original reforms set out in the White Paper on higher education in 2011, putting students at the heart of the system.
Given our role and remit, our response focuses on areas relating specifically to higher education data:
- The importance of data for the ambitions set out in the Green Paper
- Maintaining the strength and effectiveness of the current UK HE data infrastructure and processes
- Current and future HESA reforms.
In summary, on the relevant points raised in the consultation document, we believe that:
- The existing arrangements for data collection and dissemination in the UK higher education sector work well for all parties, do not require structural change, and can be transferred to the proposed new set-up largely in their current form.
- It will be important in future to retain a single UK-wide data infrastructure for higher education.
- The reforms to data collection and the UK HE data landscape that we are currently leading on will significantly upgrade the sector’s capability and infrastructure, and will support many of the ambitions set out in the Green Paper.
Read our full consultation response
About HESA
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is the recognised source of data on higher education in the UK. Our experts collect, analyse, and disseminate accurate and comprehensive statistical information on all aspects of UK higher education in order to support the strategic aims of our users and enhance the effectiveness of the sector as a whole. We are a charity and a company limited by guarantee. We operate as an independent organisation, working in close partnership with higher education providers, regulators, funders, government departments, policy makers, and other stakeholders.
