Independent (private) colleges are not required by law even to be registered, let alone inspected! Many thousands of students, however, study in independent colleges. How then should a student go about choosing an independent college?

Since its establishment in 1984, the British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education – the BAC for short – has set and monitored standards in independent colleges in Britain. By the beginning of the 2003 academic year, BAC had accredited 120 independent colleges, enrolling more than 40,000 students.

A student, whether from Britain or overseas, deciding to study at a BAC-accredited institution can be assured that it has been inspected by a team of experienced and qualified inspectors. The criteria used by them are laid down by the BAC Council which includes representatives of the chief bodies responsible for the maintenance of educational standards in the UK - universities, colleges, national validating bodies, and public and professional examining boards and also those, such as the British Council, with a particular concern for overseas students.

Institutions seeking BAC accreditation must satisfy the BAC under all the following headings:

• Premises and Health and Safety;
• Administration and Staffing;
• Quality Management;
• Student Welfare arrangements; and
• Teaching and Learning: Delivery and Resources.

The BAC also requests information concerning the financial affairs and legal status of institutions seeking accreditation. Once accredited, each institution is required to submit to the BAC an annual report on developments at the institution and is fully re-inspected every five years.

Scrutiny of applications for, and decisions on, accreditation are the responsibility of the Accreditation and Recognition Committee (ARC), which meets four times a year. The ARC consists of council members and others with experience in further and higher education institutions or inspection experience. The committee is also responsible for the initial appointment of inspectors and their deployment on individual inspections. More than 60 inspectors have so far been used on inspection work.

The decision to establish the BAC stemmed from the announcement of the Department of Education and Science that it was withdrawing from the inspection and recognition of independent establishments of further education from April 1982. Discussions between responsible parties led to the formation in 1984 of the BAC, a company limited by guarantee and registered as a charity. The need to ensure that the BAC should provide an independent and objective assessment of standards in the independent sector is recognised by the requirement that council members be nominated by recognised educational and other relevant bodies with no direct involvement or financial interest in the independent sector of education.

Over the years, the BAC has cooperated closely with the British Council’s Recognition Scheme for English Language Schools and with the Open and Distance Learning Quality Council. In 1990, the three organisations produced the first Directory of Accredited Independent Colleges in Britain. It contained the names of almost 350 colleges. In his introduction to the brochure, the Secretary of State for Education and Science welcomed the work of the three accrediting bodies. “The voluntary system of accreditation they have established,” he noted, “is the only public guarantee of standards in independent institutions of further and higher education in the UK.”

An essential service is being provided by the BAC. More and more individuals and organisations, including government departments, need to establish in an objective way the bona fides of an independent college. The BAC is able to provide an objective and independent assessment of an institution and to do so on a continuing basis.

Significant changes are currently underway in Further and Higher Education in Britain. It is vital that appropriate educational standards are maintained and are seen to be maintained. Anyone thinking of studying at an independent college should look for the BAC logo and make sure that the college chosen is accredited.

Further details of the work of the BAC and a current list of accredited institutions may be obtained from:

Robin Laidlaw,
Chief Executive, BAC,
42 Manchester Street
London W1U 7LW
Tel: 020 7224 5474
Fax: 020 7224 5475
Email: info@the-bac.org
Website: www.the-bac.org

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