On 26 July the Department for Education announced that the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act will be paused.

“GuildHE welcomes today’s announcement to pause the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act.

Supporting our members to find balance between protecting free speech and securing the safety of their students and staff is paramount. This Act, however, would have introduced an unnecessary level of regulatory burden without achieving that aim.

We welcome further discussions with the new government about positive steps forward in the interest of our students, staff, and broader economy.” – Dr Brooke Storer-Church, Chief Executive Officer, GuildHE

On 26 July the Department for Education published ‘Fit for the Future: the Independent Review of the Office for Students‘, led by Sir David Behan, the new interim Chair of the OfS.

“We thank Sir David Behan for his report and welcome many of the recommendations including the OfS reducing the burden of regulatory overlap, providing clarity, and focusing on core areas of work such as financial sustainability and driving continuous improvement.

We look forward to working with Sir David Behan in his new role as interim Chair of the OfS.” – Dr Brooke Storer-Church, Chief Executive Officer, GuildHE