After a hugely successful NSS boycott last year, which played a key role in winning major concessions against the government’s damaging plans for marketising our education system, it’s clear that now would be the absolute worst time to end the campaign.
There are numerous reasons why it’s crucial that the NSS boycott continues.
Firstly, on the issue of fees, this motion is incredibly misleading. Whilst it highlights that the NSS boycott was successful in forcing a delay in the link between TEF and fees until 2019/20, it completely neglects to mention the fact that NSS data from the previous 3 years prior to this date will be used as part of the TEF process. This means that NSS data provided by students this year WILL be used directly to prop up a mechanism which will see tuition fees raised. To oppose further tuition fee rises, the NSS boycott must continue.
Secondly, the motion also fails to recognise just how flawed the TEF is as a whole, and how damaging it is that the NSS data is used within it. Measuring supposed “teaching quality” by looking at NSS data has been widely criticised by sector experts. Even the Royal Society of Statistics have slammed these proposals, stating that there is “no reliable association” between NSS data and quality of teaching. To oppose the TEF and the devaluing of teaching, the NSS boycott must continue.
Finally, the motion gives the impression that the NSS is a force for good within higher education. This is false on many levels - the NSS is a notoriously flawed mechanism for student feedback. It centres on quantitative data, meaning that valuable qualitative insight from students is often overlooked. It takes one single snapshot of the experience of final year undergraduates, leaving out the vast majority of students. It has been shown to reproduce institutional racism and sexism. And it has been a key driver for students being treated as consumers. There are many other, far better, models for student feedback. To oppose a flawed and damaging form of feedback, the NSS boycott must continue.
Through the NSS boycott, for once students have a direct way of impacting higher education policy. Last year’s boycott showed just how powerful students taking collective action in this way can be - we need to build on this success and continue the campaign in order to stop further fee rises and to oppose the marketisation of higher education.