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It is untrue that colleges have high rates of quality inspection failure ("High college failure rate places plans for expansion in jeopardy", THES , January 9). The majority of academic reviews of higher education in further education have shown good quality provision. The Quality Assurance Agency has expressed confidence in 98.25 per cent of college reviews. Hardly a result to jeopardise expansion.

When the process of "quality assessment" was established after the 1992 act, there were a number of unsatisfactory outcomes. Rather than subsequent improvements in grading being solely to do with improving quality, it is arguable that institutions got better at the process.

Judith Norrington
Director of curriculum and quality
Association of Colleges