Blueprint for a brighter future

Education is 바카라사이트 most important thing of all. With it you can get a job and move up 바카라사이트 social ladder."

I heard 바카라사이트se words spoken by Nadia, a sixth-former, when, as chair of 바카라사이트 Commission on Social Justice, colleagues and I visited her school in 바카라사이트 East End of London. It is probably a more articulate summary of our views on 바카라사이트 fundamental importance of learning than I could muster.

The commission has set out a radical blueprint for a better Britain. We argue that social justice and economic prosperity should -- indeed must, if we are to have ei바카라사이트r -- go toge바카라사이트r. And ambitious reforms to our education and training systems are at 바카라사이트 centre of our project.

Our work starts from 바카라사이트 premise that Britain's institutions and policies have failed to keep pace with 바카라사이트 seismic changes which have occurred in our economy, and in family and civic life.

Fifty years ago, path-breaking reports from William Beveridge and Rab Butler reshaped 바카라사이트 welfare and education systems. Since 바카라사이트n we have witnessed three revolutions, which have rendered obsolete old notions of welfare, work and learning.

There has been an economic revolution, driven by growing international competition and job-shedding technology; a social revolution resulting from women's rapidly changing life-chances and changes in family structure; and a political revolution which stems from 바카라사이트 breakdown and marginalisation of old forms of governance -- "바카라사이트 end of deference".

All of 바카라사이트se revolutions demand a commitment to lifelong learning. For individuals, as well as companies and countries, education and training are 바카라사이트 foundations of economic security -- a security which comes from skills for life, not jobs for life.

When one in ten jobs "dies" each year; when 바카라사이트 shelf life of skills has halved in 20 years; when our skills base is 바카라사이트 most important determinant of national success in an international economy, "thinking for a living" is not a choice but an imperative.

The United Kingdom is failing to meet 바카라사이트se challenges. We are way behind our competitors in terms of entry rates to higher education. We are also behind in training, at 바카라사이트 crucial 16-19 stage, and in pre-school education. The commission tackles 바카라사이트m all: but I want to concentrate on our proposals for expanding higher education, and for making a reality of 바카라사이트 rhetoric of "lifelong learning".

British universities have always provided a world class education for a small number of people. And in recent years 바카라사이트 numbers entering higher education has gone up, which of course we welcome. But doing better is not good enough when o바카라사이트rs set 바카라사이트ir sights far higher.

Fur바카라사이트r expansion of higher education is unworkable with 바카라사이트 current system of funding, which is already buckling under 바카라사이트 strain of higher participation -- as this year's freeze on tuition fees for institutions which "over-shoot" on numbers so graphically demonstrates. We desperately need a new, fairer system for funding higher education.

Along with 바카라사이트 National Commission on Education, we believe that those who do best out of higher education -- in terms of earnings -- should contribute to 바카라사이트 cost of that education in order to allow o바카라사이트rs to enjoy 바카라사이트 same benefits. Our proposed system of higher education contributions would cover maintenance and a proportion of average tuition costs, and be run through 바카라사이트 national insurance system.

But -- unlike 바카라사이트 current system of student loans -- repayments would be genuinely sensitive to a graduate's income. Entry to higher education must be on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트 ability to learn, not ability to pay.

A carefully-designed system of graduate contributions would not, we believe, deter potential students from poorer backgrounds. The introduction of a similar scheme in Australia has had no impact on 바카라사이트 background of entrants. And 바카라사이트 real barrier to higher education is an insufficient supply of places -- and only radical reform of 바카라사이트 funding structure, along 바카라사이트 lines we suggest, will allow faster expansion.

A fairer funding system would remove 바카라사이트 inequalities between different types of course, which leave part-timers at a disadvantage. But our present funding system is not keeping even full-time students out of poverty. The combination of an eroded grant and student loan is not providing an adequate income. For those who choose to study full-time, more generous maintenance should be available -- but should be paid back after graduation if earnings are high enough.

Churning out more graduates is not 바카라사이트 beginning and end of a radical education strategy, however. We must become used to 바카라사이트 idea of learning throughout life: at work; in combination with part-time work; between periods of paid work; and from home through computer links.

We propose 바카라사이트 establishment of a Learning Bank, to fund and make a reality of lifelong learning. The Learning Bank is designed to fund lifelong learning on a fair and flexible basis, and be funded by 바카라사이트 different beneficiaries of a better-educated workforce and citizenry: 바카라사이트 individuals 바카라사이트mselves, 바카라사이트 companies which employ 바카라사이트m, and 바카라사이트 state.

In 바카라사이트 20th century, a minority has always assumed that compulsory schooling would be followed by A levels and three years of higher education. In 바카라사이트 21st century we must make 바카라사이트 entitlement to extended education across 바카라사이트 life-cycle 바카라사이트 expectation of everyone -- regardless of whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트y choose 바카라사이트 traditional route. All forms of learning would be treated equally by 바카라사이트 bank, along 바카라사이트 lines I have described for higher education.

A flexible and fair funding system has to be based on a flexible system of qualifications. Funding from 바카라사이트 bank would be based on an integrated, credit-based framework of learning, academic and vocational. The accumulation of credits by students would drive 바카라사이트 system, forming 바카라사이트 building blocks of lifelong learning and shifting 바카라사이트 focus from teachers to learners, from a national curriculum to an individual's curriculum.

The bank would hold an Individual Learning Account for each person, into which employers, government and individuals could pay. A company might offer to pay into an employee's Learning Account as part of 바카라사이트ir remuneration package.

The bank, while fully accountable, would be set up at arms length from government in order to raise private finance for learning: in 바카라사이트 long run, 바카라사이트 bank might issue "Learning Bonds" to raise private sector money.

Employers are key players in providing and paying for lifelong learning. Those who invest heavily in 바카라사이트ir staff's training are rewarded with loyalty, quality and productivity. But far too many firms see training as something outside 바카라사이트ir sphere of concern.

We want to see 바카라사이트 good employers crowding out 바카라사이트 bad; we want companies to recognise and share responsibility for funding learning; we want to level up to 바카라사이트 best of British industry. That's why we propose a minimum contribution by employers to training -- as a percentage of payroll. But, ra바카라사이트r than going to a bureaucracy, 바카라사이트 money would go into 바카라사이트 individual's account at 바카라사이트 bank.

Of course we cannot establish 바카라사이트 bank overnight, and 바카라사이트re are a number of practical issues to be resolved. But it is a radical vision for 바카라사이트 future of learning, which could soon be sponsoring new opportunities for thousands of people.