LONDON: A significant proportion of international students at British universities do not meet the basic requirements, especially in English language skills, to obtain their degrees, yet are still being awarded them, a blog by two anonymous professors at Russell Group institutions has claimed.
The blog, published by the Higher Education Policy Institute, states: “We don’t know how so many students with inadequate English language skills are managing to get admitted.We also don’t know how these students are managing to pass their degrees (despite often failing their initial assessments).”
The problem is most acute on master’s programmes and poses a serious long-term risk to the international standing of UK higher education, the professors claim.
Indians are the largest cohort of international students to the UK, followed by Chinese, Nigerians, Pakistanis and Americans. The majority (81%) of Indians came to the UK to read a master’s. There were 110,006 study visas granted to Indians in the year ending June 2024.
“Master’s-level teaching used to be rich, challenging and enjoyable,” the academics wrote. “A master’s seminar now typically involves a cohort in which three-quarters of the students are from a single country, a few are from elsewhere, and one or two are home students. Only a very small number have the English language skills necessary for meaningful seminar discussions.”
Many students rely on translation apps to provide real-time translation of any spoken content, forcing professors to change the content, style and pace of classes. “Open questions to the whole class are often met with silence,” the academics said. This is having a “detrimental impact on staff mental health as staff ‘deliver’ classes that are well below degree standard”.
One-to-one seminars are “particularly excruciating”. “We have regularly encountered students who are unable to understand simple questions like ‘What have you read on this topic?’” they added.
There are increasing student complaints about the “dire situation”. For their best students, the experience of master’s-level study is frequently “terrible.” “We both now advise our best students to go overseas,” they wrote.
They blame underfunding by the UK govt, “a marketised higher education system”, and the use of recruitment agents and say there is a culture of silence around it as academics are worried about their jobs.
Universities UK said: “International students must demonstrate minimum English language standards to qualify for a study visa, and universities use a range of mechanisms to protect standards. We should welcome and celebrate the immense contribution that international students make.”
A Russell Group spokesperson said: “Students engage with their studies in a variety of ways, for example because of their preferred way of learning, the educational environment they have been in, or other cultural factors.”
The blog, published by the Higher Education Policy Institute, states: “We don’t know how so many students with inadequate English language skills are managing to get admitted.We also don’t know how these students are managing to pass their degrees (despite often failing their initial assessments).”
The problem is most acute on master’s programmes and poses a serious long-term risk to the international standing of UK higher education, the professors claim.
Indians are the largest cohort of international students to the UK, followed by Chinese, Nigerians, Pakistanis and Americans. The majority (81%) of Indians came to the UK to read a master’s. There were 110,006 study visas granted to Indians in the year ending June 2024.
“Master’s-level teaching used to be rich, challenging and enjoyable,” the academics wrote. “A master’s seminar now typically involves a cohort in which three-quarters of the students are from a single country, a few are from elsewhere, and one or two are home students. Only a very small number have the English language skills necessary for meaningful seminar discussions.”
Many students rely on translation apps to provide real-time translation of any spoken content, forcing professors to change the content, style and pace of classes. “Open questions to the whole class are often met with silence,” the academics said. This is having a “detrimental impact on staff mental health as staff ‘deliver’ classes that are well below degree standard”.
One-to-one seminars are “particularly excruciating”. “We have regularly encountered students who are unable to understand simple questions like ‘What have you read on this topic?’” they added.
There are increasing student complaints about the “dire situation”. For their best students, the experience of master’s-level study is frequently “terrible.” “We both now advise our best students to go overseas,” they wrote.
They blame underfunding by the UK govt, “a marketised higher education system”, and the use of recruitment agents and say there is a culture of silence around it as academics are worried about their jobs.
Universities UK said: “International students must demonstrate minimum English language standards to qualify for a study visa, and universities use a range of mechanisms to protect standards. We should welcome and celebrate the immense contribution that international students make.”
A Russell Group spokesperson said: “Students engage with their studies in a variety of ways, for example because of their preferred way of learning, the educational environment they have been in, or other cultural factors.”
