MP calls for inquiry into UKeU failure

The government should launch an inquiry into the failure of its flagship online learning project UKeU, according to a senior Labour MP.

Derek Wyatt has asked both the National Audit Office and the Select Committee for Education to look into the £62m scheme that was established to attract overseas students to study online with UK universities.

A Computing investigation highlighted serious flaws and revealed that UKeU has attracted just 900 students, at a cost of £44,000 each.

Wyatt says the failed project is another example of badly planned public sector IT.

'There are very few brands that can ever make it from start up online. The UKeU should have been a partnership with the Open University, Oxford and Cambridge,' he said.

Expenditure on the elearning project has been lavish.

UKeU's £2m-plus wage bill for 2002 to 2003 included chief executive John Beaumont's £180,000 salary. He was also paid a performance-related bonus of £44,914.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) provided £32.6m to support the creation of UKeU's elearning infrastructure and £7m to set up various elearning programmes in higher education institutions.

And leaked documents, revealed in Computing, exposed how UKeU responded to a critical report on its progress by asking for a further £15m.

But after receiving the PA Consulting review, Hefce decided that the best use of public funding would be to restructure the organisation - a plan made public in March 2004.