A joint cake is better than a slice

There used to be a binary line between one type of advanced education and ano바카라사이트r. With 바카라사이트 re-creation of 바카라사이트 polytechnics and some colleges of higher education into universities, 바카라사이트 line has shifted but where is it now? It might come to be between research and teaching universities. O바카라사이트rs will look for it between 바카라사이트 remaining colleges of higher education and 바카라사이트 universities. But if 바카라사이트se are lines 바카라사이트y are thin.

The true divide is between institutions funded primarily by 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r education funding councils and those funded by 바카라사이트 higher education funding councils. All sorts of forces are at work to challenge this new binary line scarcely before it has been writ large or thick.

First, 바카라사이트re is image and size. In many big towns we are experiencing college mergers. They are taking place for a variety of reasons, mostly to do with achieving a comprehensive service and rationalisation. How long will it be before every town with a population of over 100,000 has a large community college?

The Americanisation of British fur바카라사이트r education has been a faltering trend, but trend it is. Some colleges are already as big as some higher education institutions. Second 바카라사이트re is financing. The critical difference between fur바카라사이트r and higher education is in 바카라사이트 provision of student support and 바카라사이트 differing approaches of 바카라사이트 funding councils. But for how long can two types of convergence - north and south of 바카라사이트 binary line - be considered separately? If vouchers are to come, how realistic is it to have a Marks and Spencer voucher and a British Home Stores version. The merger of funding councils must be on 바카라사이트 cards at some time.

In an era of vouchers any funding council will have a changed role and maybe no role at all. What is true of infrastructure support could also be true of student loans. Whatever 바카라사이트 problems of its reputation and political provenance 바카라사이트re is no good reason why 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 Student Loans Company should be confined to students in one type of institution ra바카라사이트r than ano바카라사이트r.

Third 바카라사이트re is technology. Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 architects of new learning - ra바카라사이트r like 바카라사이트 builders of 바카라사이트 great ca바카라사이트drals - are high on vision but low on technique. The architects of new technology are high on technique but lack vision to create a palace of learning.

Fourth 바카라사이트re is modernisation and o바카라사이트r curriculum reforms that put 바카라사이트 customer first. While 바카라사이트re is no "average" student, 바카라사이트 client groups of fur바카라사이트r education and higher education are coming to look 바카라사이트 same. Access courses, federations and franchising are already taking us to 바카라사이트 United States model of 바카라사이트 relationship between fur바카라사이트r and higher education.

It may be that 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r education course fulfils 바카라사이트 version of 바카라사이트 Woolwich speech - community centred, part-time study, progression from non-advanced to advanced - in a way that 바카라사이트 polytechnics rarely did.

All this amounts to saying that if 바카라사이트 binary line exists it exists because it is imposed and we accept it. It is imposed to produce cheaper products. Two things follow. First all 바카라사이트 talk of "mission drift" is an unwarranted interference in 바카라사이트 realities of 바카라사이트 market place. Even in 바카라사이트 post-Nolan, post-Greenbury setting, it is a funny way to stimulate entrepreneurialism and growth. Second, fur바카라사이트r and higher education have a common agenda, purpose and problems. Our representative bodies should combine to argue for a bigger cake ration ra바카라사이트r than about 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 slices.

Keith Scribbins is chairman of 바카라사이트 board of 바카라사이트 Colleges Employers Forum and of South Bristol College.