A quest for quality
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More students are now taking up a higher education course in the United Kingdom than ever. New entrants are wooed with high voltage advertising and marketing. Akhila Seetharaman & Daniel Patrick Russell survey the scene.
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READING THE FINE PRINT: Participants at a U.K. education fair. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
OVER THE last five years, the number of Indians opting for higher education in Britain has risen dramatically. From just over a thousand in 1999, there are now over 13,000 Indian students pursuing higher education in the United Kingdom.
This phenomenal increase is a result of several factors. During the 1980s, studying abroad was almost synonymous with studying in the United States. But with reduced funding to American universities and visa restrictions, Indian as well as other South Asian students have begun to turn to the U.K., Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
With liberalised foreign exchange regulations, the Indian student has access to a range of loan options. Going abroad to study, once the privilege of an elite minority, is now a reality for India's growing middle class.
In 1999, the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, launched an initiative to attract more overseas students to Britain, selling British education as "a first class ticket for life." This included a widespread marketing campaign to improve the brand image of U.K. education.
"The Prime Minister's campaign aimed to draw students by changing the stereotypes associated with Britain," says Kartar Singh, Deputy Director, British Council, South India. The new approach is more customer-friendly with easier visa procedures. Foreign students can now work part-time during their course. The policy also makes it relatively easier for international students to get work permits, if they find jobs in the U.K. after completing their education.
"With reference to India, the British Government also recognised that while the U.K. had strong links with an older generation of Indians, it was losing out on links with the younger generation," says Mr. Singh.
Judging by the flood of advertising from foreign educational institutions, it may seem as though the thrust is entirely from the supply side. However, he clarifies that it is not one-sided. "At the postgraduate level in India, there just aren't enough seats for students to do new, innovative programmes. This creates a demand for good foreign education options for Indian students who want to improve their career prospects."
Universities also benefit by taking in foreign students. Apart from being a valuable source of income, they also help create a multicultural learning environment, which goes towards making British education synonymous with an international education.
Universities and private colleges
Despite a very successful ongoing branding campaign, the quality of education offered at the many institutions in the U.K. varies. There are over a hundred government funded universities and thousands of private colleges all offering courses. Government-funded universities are all subject to rigorous teaching quality and research reviews by government agencies. Leading newspapers like The Guardian and The Times also publish their own rankings every year.
Not all universities are of Oxbridge calibre. Some of the `modern universities,' former polytechnics that were given university status in 1992, lack the academic traditions associated with the British education brand. Others, however, have developed a strong reputation in specific areas of study.
Because they lack adequate government funding, the newer universities are making a big effort at marketing their courses in India, says Simon Dadd from the Deputy British High Commission in Chennai.
"India is a price-sensitive market," he says. "Not everyone can afford the top-level universities, the fees are much higher, but if a university is giving an MBA for much less than other universities, you should find out why and how."
Private colleges are a separate minefield. In the private sector, there are bonafide colleges, which are accredited by bodies like the British Accreditation Council, as well as non-accredited colleges. In the second category, there are both genuine and fraudulent institutions, says Mr. Dadd.
Recently, the British Home Secretary, David Blunkett, launched a new campaign to tackle immigration abuses, by investigating Britain's numerous private colleges. "Earlier, the Government had a negative list, but now we will have a positive list, so any college that wants to take foreign students has to be on the list," says Mr. Dadd. "Colleges that function as visa factories, attract both students who really want to study and are duped in the process, as well as students who just want a visa. The idea is to weed these places out," he says.
The middlemen
As India becomes a valuable market for U.K. educational institutions, agents and consultants have sprung up, offering their services. "Students need hand-holding and face-to-face guidance," says Mr. Singh. "Agents fulfil a very important role because they give students information and help them through the application process. However, while there are a number of very good agents, there are also a number of unscrupulous agents who help forge documents and misinform students."
The British Council website lists agents with whom it has links. Most good agents have tie-ups with U.K. universities, which allow them to provide free services to students. But students must remember that agents that provide free services get commissions from the universities they represent.
"We always put the students' interest as first priority," says Mansoor Ameen from Study Overseas. "We try to make sure that students focus on particular courses and only apply in select places that best suit the student."
In addition to giving information about courses, a good agency also helps students prepare their visa applications. Visas are not guaranteed. However, chances are bonafide students who apply well in advance, with all the necessary documentation, will not be refused.
— Fact sheet
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