LONDON: More data on British university courses, including drop-out rates and graduates' future earnings, will be made available to school leavers in a move designed to treat them more like consumers, The Guardian newspaper reported.

The new framework, which is modelled on a food-labelling system, is expected to be unveiled tomorrow by Lord Mandelson, the universities secretary.

It will say that students should be treated more as paying customers and given better information about the quality of their courses before they embark on a degree, the newspaper said yesterday.

The plan aims to set out the future priorities for universities ahead of a major shake-up of the student funding system.

It is also expected to recommend new admissions systems that would help identify talented applicants from poorer backgrounds in an attempt to improve social mobility.

But the emphasis on providing better value for money to students will likely lead to speculation that the government is paving the way for a rise in tuition fees following the general election, The Guardian said.

Universities are lobbying to be allowed to increase annual course-fee levels, capped at £3,225 (S$7,400) for 2009/10, and ministers have indicated that both students and employers will be expected to pay more of the cost of university education.

Under the new plan, each course will come with a detailed description of what the subject involves, methods and frequency of assessment, how many teaching hours students can expect and how much work they will be expected to do independently.

The government already publishes statistics on drop-out rates and employability after six months and 31/2 years, but the latest plan would put that information all in one place.

Future earnings could also be factored into tuition premiums for high-intensity courses such as engineering and medicine.

The new framework comes amid growing anger among undergraduates about how their tuition fees are being spent.

In May, undergraduates at Bristol University staged a rebellion over tuition fees, complaining about reduced teaching hours and attempts to have essays graded by undergraduates rather than lecturers.

With clearly labelled degree courses, students would presumably have more realistic expectations while universities are forced to improve how they operate.

Mr Wes Streeting, president of the National Union of Students, was cautiously optimistic about the new plan.

'There is a balance to be struck between transparency and really commodifying higher education,' he told The Guardian.

'There needs to be very good data included, otherwise universities will offer more hours in huge lecture halls and cramped seminars when fewer hours with smaller groups would be much better.

'The benefits may force universities to drive up quality, but it is riddled with risk.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.