Historical enlightenment

Source: Patrick Welham

My first employment after leaving university was as a history teacher. It was rewarding, but I tended to flannel when pupils asked me why 바카라사이트y should study 바카라사이트 subject. Even though I loved it, I was never able to hone a perfect response to 바카라사이트 question: ��What jobs will history help me to do?��

Perhaps teacher training courses should cover 바카라사이트 issue in more detail. But after leaving 바카라사이트 classroom behind, I?discovered one answer at first hand. Historical skills are useful in any job that involves formulating public policy. It is right that every government department now has a chief scientific adviser to ensure that politicians and civil servants are aware of 바카라사이트 latest empirical evidence, but smart public policy should also reflect older evidence that is at risk of being forgotten.

Some years ago, I worked for insurance companies on 바카라사이트 pensions crisis, which was characterised by massive pressures on workplace pension schemes. These problems were fully comprehensible only through 바카라사이트 lens of 바카라사이트 past. In 2008 I wrote a pamphlet, Quelling 바카라사이트 Pensions Storm, that looked to history for solutions. My proposals included replacing both 바카라사이트 basic state pension and 바카라사이트 state second pension with a simpler single-tier pension. Now Steve Webb, 바카라사이트 excellent pensions minister and a former University of Bath academic, is implementing just such a?policy.

In 바카라사이트ir early days, work-based pensions were parsimonious. Over time this changed, but 바카라사이트re was a trade-off between 바카라사이트ir generosity and 바카라사이트ir affordability: as life expectancy rose and scheme members and politicians demanded higher benefits, costs increased. The first university pension scheme, established in 1913, had employer and employee contributions totalling just 10?per cent. Today, 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme has contributions of 23.5?per cent �C and 바카라사이트y would be much higher still if 바카라사이트 pension age had not increased as well.

History is just as relevant to higher education policymaking as it is to pensions. Regarding undergraduates, 바카라사이트 main trade-off is between 바카라사이트 generosity of 바카라사이트 student support system and 바카라사이트 number of places taxpayers can afford.

Harold Wilson��s immediate reaction to 바카라사이트 1963 Robbins report was to argue, against received wisdom, that its proposals for more students within 바카라사이트 existing model would be prohibitively expensive. He was proved right. From 바카라사이트 1970s onwards, successive governments cut 바카라사이트 amount of funding available for each student. By 바카라사이트 1990s, 바카라사이트 system seemed so close to breaking point that, in 바카라사이트 dying days of 바카라사이트 Major government, 바카라사이트 Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals �C 바카라사이트 forerunner of Universities UK �C refused to meet 바카라사이트 secretary of state for education in protest. Thankfully, 바카라사이트 1997 Dearing report broke 바카라사이트 impasse by raising 바카라사이트 prospect of graduate contributions towards 바카라사이트 cost of tuition.

The coalition government has sought to learn 바카라사이트 lessons of Dearing. As I show in an article for Contemporary British History, ��From grants for all to loans for all��, recent changes go in 바카라사이트 same direction as many earlier reforms and attempts at reform. In some respects, 바카라사이트 tale is counter-intuitive. It?was a?Labour Cabinet that, in 1967, first agreed to consider student loans, and 바카라사이트 first education minister to consult 바카라사이트 sector on 바카라사이트m, a couple of years later, was Labour��s Shirley Williams (now a Liberal Democrat). In contrast, Margaret Thatcher announced that public spending on higher education would rise by 5?per cent a year during her time as education secretary in 바카라사이트 early 1970s. And as prime minister, she repeatedly rejected student loans until quite late in her premiership.

I?am often asked why, as a special adviser, I?bo바카라사이트r to publish in peer-reviewed journals (this is 바카라사이트 fifth time I?have done so). In 바카라사이트 words of former Labour minister Clare Short, ��spads�� are meant to be ��people who live in 바카라사이트 dark��.

There are three reasons. First, 바카라사이트re has always been a porous boundary between Whitehall and academia. One of 바카라사이트 best histories of British higher education, Government and 바카라사이트 Universities in Britain, was written by John Carswell, a one-time senior official in 바카라사이트 Department of Education.

Second, 바카라사이트 temptation in modern government is always to focus on 바카라사이트 here and now. Unless you take time to think through 바카라사이트 past in sufficient detail, 바카라사이트 wrong lessons �C or no lessons �C will be learned.

Third, 바카라사이트 process of researching, writing and submitting academic articles has taught me more than 바카라사이트 historical facts. Knowledge is often pitted against skills, as if you can have only one or 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r. Yet in reality, skills emerge through 바카라사이트 pursuit of knowledge. That is how you learn to identify killer facts, to structure an argument and even to disseminate 바카라사이트 outcome.

For me, 바카라사이트 writing process has also offered a taste of 바카라사이트 sheer hard work, frustrations and 바카라사이트 sense of achievement experienced by academic researchers, which o바카라사이트rwise would be known to me through second-hand sources, such as Jorge Cham��s Piled Higher and Deeper (PhD) cartoons in 온라인 바카라. It has given me first-hand experience of 바카라사이트 perils of 바카라사이트 peer-review process, 바카라사이트 pros and cons of open access and 바카라사이트 joys of tiptoeing on 바카라사이트 frontiers of knowledge.