Letter: No satisfaction 1

What are we to make of the proposal to use a first-destinations survey to measure student satisfaction ("Graduates to rate quality", THES , November 23)? The government may wish to rebut criticisms of teaching quality by measuring consumer satisfaction, but is this survey the answer?

Careers staff have suggested that such survey data may be of poor quality and may compromise Higher Education Statistics Agency efforts. And if institutions are to interpret the data, how will impartiality and consistency be ensured?

Before asking students to reflect on learning's value in the context of career progression, we must consider how and when we ask the questions.

Rob Imeson
Director for student services
The London Institute