London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

Universities ignoring poor writing skills in favour of ‘inclusivity,’ England’s higher education regulator says

Universities ignoring poor writing skills in favour of ‘inclusivity,’ England’s higher education regulator says

England’s higher education watchdog has warned it will take action against institutions that ignore students’ poor writing skills as part of their “inclusive assessment” policies, saying it’s a “widespread” problem.
On Thursday, the Office for Students (OfS) published the findings of a review of assessment policies at five unidentified UK universities and colleges. The independent regulatory body noted that institutions were failing to mark down students for poor spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

The review found a “range of practices” that caused concern about the quality of “rigour” in student assessments. In particular, it said some institutions had interpreted the 2010 Equality Act to not assess written English proficiency for all students.

The OfS review said there was “no inconsistency” in complying with equality legislation and making assessments “accessible” while also maintaining rigour in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Failing to do so was not necessary or justified, it said.

The review was prompted by a number of reported instances this year in which universities were overlooking literacy errors in an effort to boost “inclusivity” among students, with the reasoning that requiring good written English skills could disadvantage students from certain groups, such as ethnic minorities or those from underperforming schools.

In one case, a University of Hull marking policy reportedly stated that a “homogenous North European, white, male, elite mode of expression” put students whose first language is not English at a disadvantage.

Other instances of inclusive marking were highlighted at the University of Worcester, Durham University, and the University of the Arts London. At these institutions, staff were apparently told to focus on marking ideas and understanding of subject matter as opposed to language mistakes.

Last month, former Education Secretary Gavin Williamson referenced these instances at a higher education conference and said that “lowering the bar for certain groups of students serves no one.” He called it “patronising to expect less from some students under the guise of supporting them.”

OfS Director of Regulation Susan Lapworth mirrored those remarks in comments accompanying the review, which said students should be able to “effectively and correctly” communicate their ideas. She said the practice of ignoring poor language skills was both “patronising” and “threatens to undermine standards [and] public confidence in the value of a degree.”

She said the issue will be revisited in a year and action will be taken where practices lacking rigour are identified.

The OfS review also suggested that the lowered standards of assessment practices “could be an indicator of wider concerns” such as “unexplained grade inflation,” although it noted that further study would be needed to “test this hypothesis.”

However, Universities UK, which represents over 140 institutions, said the review was too narrow in scope and claimed there was “no evidence” to suggest such assessment practices were “the norm” across the “large and diverse” higher education sector, the Guardian reported. There are more than 400 institutions registered with the OfS.

Meanwhile, Minister for Higher and Further Education Michelle Donelan said the government was “determined to drive up standards at universities so that every student can benefit from a quality education which leads to good outcomes.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×