POST-16 EDUCATION –SATISFYING THE NEEDS OF ENGINEERING IN BRITAIN

The Foundation held a Lecture and Dinner Discussion on the subject “Post-16 Education: Supplying the Needs of Engineering in Britain” at the Royal Society on 9 October 1991. Lord Butterworth CBE chaired the evening and the speakers were Professor Ian Nussey OBE FEng, IBM United Kingdom Limited; Dr Dick Evans, Principal, Stockport College of Further Education; and Dr Derek Roberts CBE FEng FRS, Provost, University College, London. Summary: Both speakers examined the present state of engineering education, its good and bad features, and made proposals which, they believed, would enhance Britain’s ability to meet the challenges that faced the country.

Post-16 Science in Further Education

Dick Evans, Cornwall College and chair of the post 16 ASE Committee.. The teaching of science figures significantly in the further education sector (FE), both as a single discipline and a subject servicing vocational or pre-vocational courses. For convenience, the courses in a typical FE college can be mapped into three basic course pathways namely: academic/general vocational. pre-vocational. This approach is somewhat simplistic, as increasingly students will pursue mixed-economy courses, that is courses, modules or parts of courses from more than one of these pathways. Provision covers a wide spectrum with courses possessing various levels and unfortunately at present having

Higher Education’s Hindrance of Schools and Colleges.

How many of the problems currently being experienced in British education should be blamed on the institutions within the higher education sector? They, after all, exercise a major influence on setting the agenda for the various examining bodies. Does this top-down approach cause the great loss of potential students? Even as the implications of the demographic decline materialise many institutions admissions tutors still worship at the GCE A level altar, only accepting novitiates who have pursued a content-led course. A number of institutions still view non-standard entry gates with suspicion, especially prospective students with vocational qualifications, such as National Awards