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The duration between July and December of year 2013 didn’t fade in action, issues or trends. Studies involving universities and students continue to permeate and serve to provide insight. Welcome to Essay Writer’s second half year-end blog special.
July and jobs
The second half of the year takes on a more tumultuous dive as graduates end up taking after those non-degree jobs. Equally astonishing is the kind of claim a university think-tank chairman took: “that studying for a degree … is still one of the best ways to land a job.”
University applications were also observed to have recovered. Its increase peaked to 19,000.
August takes flight
The eight month of the year took a better turn, particularly for Scotland. Opting for efficiency, regional clusters of colleges had been formed. The four new super colleges consisted of the Glasgow Clyde College, West College Scotland, Ayrshire College and Fife College.
Another monthly highlight was the increased popularity of the International GCSE among students, as well as, the announcement of the opening of Chevening Scholarships.
Universities in September
International students took another hit in the spotlight. This time, however, the emphasis was on universities – as a wide number of institutions are observed to proffer more slots to international students than to local youth.
Subjecting universities to scrutiny hasn’t abated yet; these institutions were held in question due to the rampant zero-hours contracts. These contract arrangements are seen to be cost-effective for the institution; the harm, however, had been shouldered by teaching professionals.
In a lighter tone, UK has started the oft-mentioned MOOC-venture. Free courses are now accessible; thanks to FutureLearn.
Octoberfest
The tenth month of the year is characterised of exposés. The first among these had been the identification of threats against students. These threats consisted of new degree providers (ie, for-profit and online educational institutions) and a deficient regulation that which permits the proliferation of the former.
Such issues spur a call for change. A change in orientation had been proposed as ‘the heart’ no longer solely belonged to the institution, but to students, as well. Yet, most reinforced is the creation of the new higher education bill.
Capping off the month was the infusion of the US-style GPA System to UK’s universities.
November is trending
The population of male university students had been waning. The UCAS chief had, however, made it a point to emphasise the sobriety of the issue as the trend shows no stopping. Another emerging trend consisted of underemployment among UK’s recent graduates.
Down the academic ladder, pupils are anticipated to benefit from the military ethos as an infusion of teachers, who are ex-members of the Armed Forces, will join the education sector.
December lost and won
Last but not the least is the twelfth month’s contribution to UK’s 2013 higher education. The early speculation of OECD’s Programme for International Assessment (or Pisa) results incited a general rethinking among middle- and low-ranking countries. UK was one of these.
Good news came for women engineers: postgraduate grants for those who will choose to advance their engineering degree were made available. The last month’s entry didn’t waver in excitement, as more stakeholders came to debate against the hypothetical case study #2 (on gender segregation).
Farewell 2013
The second half of the year 2013 brought more challenges to educational institutions, educators and students, too. Collecting year 2013’s last remnants should feed everyone’s appetite for more improvements, be it in reforms, or diligent study.
