Yasmin – not her real name – came from Iran to study for a master’s degree at a new university in the UK, but she was “shocked” to find many of her fellow students had limited English, and only one or two were British.
“How is it possible to continue this coursework without understanding a British accent or English properly?” she tells BBC File on 4.
Most students paid other people to do their coursework, she explains, and some would pay people to register their attendance at lectures for them.
Yasmin’s experience reflects a growing concern. The University and College Union (UCU) says some institutions are overlooking language skills to receive high fees from overseas students, and one professor tells us 70% of his recent master’s students had inadequate English.
Universities UK – which represents 141 institutions – rejects the claims and says there are strict language requirements for students coming from abroad.
