Higher Education: Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom: RPC opinion
RPC Opinion on the Department for Education Impact Assessment on higher Education: Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom
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The impact assessment (IA) to which this opinion relates to, requires the Office for Students to introduce new registration conditions on freedom of speech and academic freedom, to legislate for a Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom within the OfS, to introduce a duty on higher education providers to promote freedom of speech on campus, to extend the duties to apply directly to student unions, to introduce a statutory tort for breach of the duties, and to widen and enhance academic freedom protections.
The RPC considers the EANDCB and SaMBA to be sufficient and therefore, the IA, is rated as fit for purpose. The evidence supporting the proposed interventions is weak and the IA’s consideration of options could be improved.
The corresponding IA can be found here.