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Foreign students lacking in English skills are being allowed to enrol in postgraduate degree courses at UK universities in growing numbers, according to the University and College Union (UCU). A lack of language skills could compromise both the study and the student experience, and was increasingly prompting the use of essay mills and intelligence software to complete coursework, according to the UCU’s report. Seven out of 10 master’s course students in England were from overseas, with rising fees and a real-terms cut in university funding opening the market up to international students.
Professor Steven Spier, until late last year vice chancellor of Kingston University in London, said: “There is no question that some overseas students are given an unfair advantage over domestic students,” he said. “For a number of recent years, something like 20% of masters students at Kingston did not demonstrate an adequate level of English, but nevertheless were given places because they were prepared to pay the fees. We had to take action against essay mills that were being used. This is not a new problem, but it is worsening. Universities risk being blacklisted internationally if these issues are not addressed.”
In response, a spokesperson for Universities UK said that there were strict language requirements for overseas students admitted to universities in the UK, and that these checked reading, writing, listening and speaking proficiency. Government figures have shown that 27% of overseas postgraduate students, those from outside of the EU, failed to achieve an acceptable level of English in 2016/17
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