Dick Evans is worried about how we plan provision of education to meet future skills needs Introduction, background and scene setting This is the first part of a two part piece on skills in which I will attempt to provide the background for this important topic. I will describe the factors in play across the skills spectrum and the way the government is tackling the problem of persistent skills shortages and gaps including the continuing levels of poor numeracy in the adult population. Skills still seem to be a top priority for the government, but are the strategies and policies
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Sink or swim
Dick Evans fears that FE could become a lost continent drowned by competition. One of the inevitable consequences of subjecting education and training to an open and free market is to create a competitive climate, which becomes counter productive. If the market approach is operated in an extreme form, as it is sadly now, with uncontrolled deregulation, the resultant cut-throat competition between the institutions and sectors will fail to rectify many of the problems confronting education and training in this country. Couple this with the absence of any long-term strategic framework for education and training, and the consequences are indeed
Short on skills: Part 5
Languages This article by Dick Evans, Principal of Stockport FE College, is the penultimate in a series looking at issues associated with a number of strategically important subjects, and skills. Others have included engineering, manufacturing, construction, mathematics and science. The difficulties with these subjects reflect fundamental problems we are experiencing in terms of competing successfully in a global economy, producing and sustaining a highly qualified workforce and improving productivity. Skill shortages in this country are often associated with science and technical subjects but one that has been very longstanding, and, in some ways has a number of different causes from
Short on skills: Part 4
Science. Dick Evans continues his series looking at issues associated with a number of strategically important subjects, for example engineering, manufacturing, construction and mathematics. The difficulties with the subjects above reflect many of the issues associated with the fundamental problems that this country is experiencing in terms of competing successfully in a global economy, producing and sustaining a highly qualified workforce and improving productivity. The previous articles have shown that a number of the difficulties are associated with the education and training programmes, whether at school or post-school stages. This article focuses on science as, along with mathematics, it is
Science, Technology and Civilisation in China
This is a transcript of a talk given in May 2014 at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Valletta This commentary attempts to build on the PowerPoint presentation and provide more detail about the topic. I cannot do justice to the theme because of the time constraints and the immense amount of material relating to the topic. One of the most fascinating aspects of Chinese history is the significant advances made over many thousands of years in astronomy, mathematics, science and technology. Many of these discoveries and inventions were made long before similar advances in the West. For example
Science Struggles as a Sustainable Symbol of Survival.
Science education post-16 is facing major threats, particularly vocational science in further education. University science faculties struggle each year to hit targets. They are increasingly lowering their entry requirements and poaching students already enrolled for college higher national diplomas. Reasons for the threats include the continued hostility to science and technology, particularly the vocational awards, despite a world increasingly oriented towards science and technology. If Britain is to survive as a global economy and deal with changes from the information revolution, we need more employees highly qualified in science and technology and more basic scientific literacy among the general public.
Science education and museums
Sadly, colleges and universities have not fully appreciated the massive wealth that is contained within many museums around the country. Science and technology are particularly well catered for, not only in the traditional museums, but also in more specialist facilities like those available in London, Liverpool, Runcorn, Manchester and Bristol, as well as in a number of science exploratory centres around the country. Other possibilities exist too. Colleges could establish stronger links with the multitude of scientific associations, clubs and groups that are active throughout the UK. A recent report from the Department of National Heritage, “A Common Wealth –
Science and Policy Making.
Following a recent fascinating lecture organised by the Foundation of Science and Technology (Royal Society) on ‘Science and Policy’, I reflected on the possible implications for scientists as policy makers and/or socio-political influences and the resultant responsibilities of educational provides, whether in schools, colleges or universities. The role and influence of scientists in formulating national policy has never been more important. The scientific dimension is but one of a number of a wider range of complex and interacting dimensions associated with the social/political/ financial domain. With the increasing concerns about the long-term consequences of scientific and technological developments on the
Reversing the Spiral of Decline
Dick Evans argues for a career-based curriculum A recent report (Smith 2004) has again highlighted the concerns about the state of mathematics and its teaching in schools. Questions continue to arise about its purpose and centrality in the national curriculum, in addition, concerns are being raised about the quality and quantity of students entering higher education to study courses that require mathematics. We live in a technological society based on maths and science, so it is perplexing that schools, colleges and universities continue to turn out students in large numbers who not only lack adequate numeracy skills but also constantly
Reflections on Learning Resources.
(Colleges and Providers). Dick Evans. Educational Consultant ABSTRACT: A reflection on the wider implications of the Learning and Skills legislation and developments in the Further Education Sector reinforces the centrality of the learner. The Inspection System has progressively moved colleges towards this perception for a fuller understanding of the significant role of Learning Resources, however defined. This theme, which has consistently been promoted by the LRDG in publications and conferences, should now attain its full significance. As a result of a recent LRDG conference on the impact of the common inspection framework I reflected on the wider implications of the Teaming