McDonald's diplomas coming to Britain

LONDON, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Monday stood by the decision to let private companies such as fast-food giant McDonald's bestow educational diplomas.

McDonald's, Network Rail and budget airline Flybe are the first private employers given clearance to award general certificates of secondary education to workers who complete training programs, The Times of London reported.

While McDonald's, which has more than 1,000 locations in Britain, is limited to GCSE and Level A diplomas, Flybe will be allowed to go beyond those certifications by offering college-level degrees and Network Rail will even be allowed to bestow certain doctorate-level degrees. Critics have taken to calling them "McGCSEs" or "McDegrees," claiming they undermine the value of academic work.

But Brown rejected contentions the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority initiative amounts to a dumbing-down of diplomas.

"If McDonald's (does) it, it is not that standards are going to fall, in fact it is going to be a tough course, but once you have got a qualification in management you can probably go anywhere," Brown told GMTV.

Universities Secretary John Denham called it "an important step" toward ending divisions between company training and national qualifications.

However, Professor Alan Smithers of the University of Buckingham contends diplomas are "more valuable to holders if they were awarded by an independent body."