BPP Law School has hit back at claims that it turned down the chance to appear on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme and defended itself against criticism that giving degree-awarding powers to private companies could hit academic standards.
The school, together with BPP College, has been the subject of a heated online debate on website Consilio, not only for its new status but also for failing to appear on the Today programme last week to discuss the issue.
In BPP’s absence, the programme heard the general secretary of the University and College Union, Sally Hunt, question the Privy Council’s decision to let BPP award its own degrees on the grounds that it could weaken educational standards.
Despite the Today programme stating that BPP had declined its invitation to appear as it did not want to be drawn into a debate on education, college chief executive Peter Crisp argued that a BBC mix-up prevented him from appearing when in fact he would have been keen to go on the show.
Last week BPP became the first private company to win degree-awarding powers but the decision has come in for criticism, with some arguing that the higher costs of obtaining a degree at a private institution could affect diversity and see degrees dumbed down.
In a blog on consilioeditor, University of Glamorgan professor Patricia Leighton asked: “Is BPP’s way truly the best way forward to ensure we have creative, innovative and ‘well-rounded’ lawyers?”
The debate also features an online interview with Nigel Savage, chief executive of the College of Law, which also recently won degree-awarding powers.
Crisp defended the new powers saying: “BPP is about raising standards and that is what us entering into the degree market demonstrates. Academic standards need to be raised and we have proven that we are a very serious organisation through the fact that major law firms send their students to us.”
The debate comes weeks after BPP won a mandate to provide an exclusive Legal Practice Course (LPC) course to SJ Berwin’s future trainees. The three-year contract will see all of SJ Berwin’s trainees — approximately 40 annually — studying for their LPC at the law school. The contract starts in September 2008 and the students will also take five tailored classes in-house at SJ Berwin during the year-long course.
The agreement means that BPP is now the exclusive LPC provider to 10 UK firms.
Talkback: Are private law schools compromising on standards?Click here to have your say.
Seewww.spr-consilio.com for more comment
I'm just annoyed that they go and start handing out degrees and masters left right and centre for doing exactly the same work that a couple of years ago got you a GDL and LPC!
As a BBP LPC graduate I feel very strongly that that institution should not be allowed to award degrees. The LPC is largely a course in administration - it is not taught by academics and there is nothing academic in the content. In conclusion, it is so far removed from a proper Master's Degree. I find these new degree awarding powers absolutely laughable. Who does BPP think it is kidding? Amazing what money can buy.
The two posts up here have obviously not done their homework on how the degree awarding works. I am currently studying the GDL part time whilst holding down a demanding full time job in government fraud. I am due to upgrade my GDL to an LLB, which, as Jealous appears to presume, means you just pay for different letters. In actual fact you have to do a number of extra modules, essays and exams just like on the traditional undergraduate degree, which means that you don't do 'exactly the same work' at all. With regards to the second post about the LPC, upgrading this to an LLM also requires a lot of extra work, including the standard 15,000 word academic dissertation that most other masters degrees require. They both also cost extra money, so are also not being given 'for nothing' fee wise either.
I also note no mention of the College of Law has been made either, who automaticaly awards an LLB for a GDL+LPC. If you have issues with BPP's degree awarding powers, surely you would have issues with this as well. I can understand how Jealous may feel short-changed by this; I was lucky I was still studying for the qualification when the changes came in. However I do not feel the credibility of the degrees should be challenged. BPP wouldn't have been awarded the powers if the standard of the qualification didn't match that of any other traditional undergrad degree.
Why not give past LPC/GDL grads the opportunity to upgrade to LLB?
i am studying the lpc at the moment and would not consider 'upgrading' to the llm. an llm should be researc based, the lpc is not at all.
also, former students can do the llm. personally, i'd rather put the money on a horse!
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