Students will not be satisfied by two-year foundation degrees, said Roderick Floud, provost of London Guildhall University, when he spoke at Gresham College last week on the government's target to give half of the population higher education.
"There is nothing magic about three years rather than two, but the experience of the HND, which has become a stepping stone to an honours degree, suggests that students want the 'normal' qualification," he said.
He warned that a 50 per cent participation rate in higher education could lead to a two-tier society.