Petition · past parliament
Introduce 'Non-Detriment Policy' for Universities in the 2020/2021 Academic Year
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
With the current disruption caused by the pandemic and the way in which course material is being taught, it is believed that the current trajectory for assessments, within the university spectrum, will not include the non-detriment policy. This puts courses with lots of people at a disadvantage
We would like the government to review assessment formats and establish a fair way to assess its students as a whole. After the previous academic year, it was found that the non-detriment policy helped students without giving them any great advantage.
The current format of teaching is subpar and as such we believe it is disadvantageous to proceed with returning back to the normal way of assessing students. The situation with the virus has not improved enough to justify this change
The current format of teaching is subpar and as such we believe it is disadvantageous to proceed with returning back to the normal way of assessing students. The situation with the virus has not improved enough to justify this change
Why it was rejected
It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.
Universities are autonomous institutions so they way they deliver courses and assess students is a matter for individual universities, not the Government or House of Commons.
The Office for Students, which regulates the higher education sector in England, published guidance for providers about quality and standards during coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in March, which notes that ‘no detriment’ or ‘safety net’ policies introduces by some providers are likely to be appropriate, but such policies are a matter for individual providers, and must meet conditions for awarding bodies: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/f351a739-6cd6-4310-8f98-a6aa603f17f4/quality-and-standards-guidance-during-coronavirus.pdf
The Office for Students, which regulates the higher education sector in England, published guidance for providers about quality and standards during coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in March, which notes that ‘no detriment’ or ‘safety net’ policies introduces by some providers are likely to be appropriate, but such policies are a matter for individual providers, and must meet conditions for awarding bodies: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/f351a739-6cd6-4310-8f98-a6aa603f17f4/quality-and-standards-guidance-during-coronavirus.pdf
Timeline
| 17 Nov 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 23 Nov 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
23 Nov 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.