“THE SANDS OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ARE LITTERED WITH THE WHITE BONES OF WELL INTENTIONED ENDEAVOURS”. A Viewpoint. Paper presented at a conference. 1997. The recent announcement to scrap the White Paper on ‘Lifelong Learning’, to be replaced by a series of consultation papers shows the fragmented situation as far as the Government’s long term strategic vision for education is concerned. This White Paper was supposed to draw together and respond to a number of pre-existing initiatives and research, namely Higginson, Kennedy, Fryer and possibly Dearing. One could add to these the ideas of the Labour Party in opposition on the
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To Learn or Not to Learn?
That is the basic question says FE College Principal Dick Evans. A recently-introduced government performance indicator focuses on graduates obtaining employment and the new national target regarding participation rates for 16 to 19 year olds. This has provoked reflection on student retention, achievement and the wider aspects of people who do not participate in education and training. Student retention and achievement justifiably continues to be an important issue for colleges and universities. Obviously they wish to see all their students succeed and have value added to them through their studies and the associated learning opportunities and experiences afforded to them
Time for a Re-Think.
With concerns over society’s numeracy levels and the advent of new technology, Dick Evans calls for a major, wide-ranging inquiry into maths education. Recently, a number of reports have highlighted the continuing concern about mathematics education and the problems associated with the level of numeracy in school leavers and in members of society in general. Ongoing concern is voiced by employers and educationalists from all the sectors. Many reports, over many decades, have mapped out the possible causes and made innumerable recommendations to improve the situation. Sadly, in spite of all these laudable endeavours, nothing has happened and the concerns
Thoughts on the New FE Sector
Richard Evans looks ahead to the problems and challenges he and his colleagues will face. After 1 April, the new further education sector will be established, numbering 550 institutions in all, and comprising colleges of further education, sixth form colleges, tertiary colleges and a number of specialist institutions, including those for agriculture, horticulture, art and design. The institutions will become incorporated and obtain independence from the local authority. The Government has indicated that further education is now top of the agenda for the first time in its long and credible history. Additional resources have now been made available, with the
Thoughts On Off Shoring and the Implications for Skills
In this article. Dr Dick Evans considers the thorny question of who gains most from off shoring and considers the implications for the UK skill base. Recent reports have shown that Europe’s share of global off shoring in 2004 exceeded that of America for the first time. Off shoring, as it is increasingly being called, involves a complex set of economic and investment relationships between capital rich/high wage/international brand owning countries (host) and low capital/low wage countries with under deployed workforces (recipient). This has led to a number of commentators speculating on what the implications could be for the EU
The Vocational Qualification Gap
This September sees the introduction in the UK of a new qualification in science for the over-16 age group. The General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) ate an attempt to provide a bridge between the current academic and vocational curriculum frameworks by providing general certification in a way that keeps the door open to direct employment. A- and AS-levels or the more specific and well established National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs). The new qualifications were first proposed for introduction in England and Wales in the May 1991 Government White Paper Education and Training for the 21st Century. (The Scottish education system has
THE VALUE OF QUALIFICATIONS
Richard Evans is the Chairman of the CIPHE’s Education and Training Group. In this issue of ETM he considers how we can raise the status of plumbing. Changing attitudes The theme of this piece is as relevant to the plumbing profession as it is for all other vocational and technically orientated qualifications and occupations. It addresses the general perception that these qualifications are second-class and of low status, when in fact they are strategically important subjects and occupations. This in turn has created a view that colleges and their programmes are second class, expressed in an attitude that if you
The Value of Higher National Certificates
The Higher National Certificate (HNC) is an incredibly valuable award for people who are operating as technicians within industry. It was, and continues to be, an important award, particularly in the areas of science and science-related disciplines. It has always been very greatly valued by employers who have sponsored their employees to gain this qualification, possibly as an award in itself or in terms of progression on to a part-time degree orformembership of a professional body. However, over the past few years, colleges have witnessed dramatic declines in the enrolment of students on HNC awards, following the change of recruiting
The Threat to Work-related Learning
Dick Evans analyses the Coalition’s approach to the 14-16 curriculum and WRL and points out the inconsistencies and risks implied by this policy. One of the most disappointing aspects of the Wolf Review was the recommendation that Work-Related Learning (WRL) should not be a statutory requirement for 14-16 year olds. Equally sad was that the government endorsed that recommendation and removed the funding for education business partnerships. This decision is consistent with others of the government as it continues to narrow the curriculum and heavily prescribe and proscribe areas of it creating a bland and sanitised offering to the majority of
The TechBacc – What Chance of Success?
In this article, Dr Dick Evans, technical education specialist, discusses proposals for the TechBacc and considers its chances of success when previous attempts to gain parity of esteem with ‘A’ levels for vocational qualifications have foundered. The latest attempt to introduce a vocational and occupational qualification, the Technical Baccalaureate (TechBacc), has been announced to begin in September 2014 and results will be reported in the performance tables in 2017. As usual the initiative is launched with much political hype and well-worn rhetoric – namely it will be of high quality, provide an alternative choice, possess parity of esteem with ‘A’