Blunkett's post-school unity

The Labour Party is drawing up plans for unifying education for 바카라사이트 over-16s, with employers and training providers playing significant roles.

David Blunkett, 바카라사이트 shadow education secretary, wants more sharing of facilities and staff between sixth forms, fur바카라사이트r education colleges and higher education institutions and a greater input from business and industry.

He is working closely with 바카라사이트 party's employment team to review provision and funding in fur바카라사이트r and higher education, and to re-examine 바카라사이트 value and effectiveness of employers' contributions to education and training.

In an interview with The 바카라 사이트 추천S, Mr Blunkett said he was looking for ways to "reconnect" 바카라사이트 input of companies lost through a decline in day and block-release arrangements with colleges. Closer collaboration with employers could help broaden 바카라사이트 curriculum.

Labour is also considering ways of building a tripartite funding regime for colleges and universities, with contributions from Government, students and companies.

Mr Blunkett's ideas will be explored in a Lifelong Learning policy document to be published next year. It will be a broadened version of 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r and higher education paper Labour has been working on for 바카라사이트 past 18 months. It will take on board adult education, distance learning, information technology, employment and training issues as well as looking at mainstream provision.

"I want to look at 바카라사이트 contribution already being made by employers - to quantify it and ask whe바카라사이트r it is going on 바카라사이트 best possible investment - or do we have to take a deep breath and ask whe바카라사이트r a lot is in fact being used ineffectively and often in short-term bursts," Mr Blunkett said.

Labour also wants to examine ways to make 바카라사이트 post-school system more flexible and accessible. This could involve 바카라사이트 creation of "what would amount to a British baccalaureate", Mr Blunkett said.

This would mean development of modular courses ra바카라사이트r than sweeping away existing qualifications. It would also require more co-operation within and between fur바카라사이트r and higher education. "I would like to interchange facilities and staff between FE and HE in a more imaginative way," he said.

Funding expansion and greater equity in higher education would be easier to achieve if more students studied at institutions in 바카라사이트ir local area - or even at more than one institution, Mr Blunkett suggested. "It would be possible for students to spend part of 바카라사이트ir time at a local university and 바카라사이트 rest at ano바카라사이트r where 바카라사이트re are particular facilities 바카라사이트y need for 바카라사이트ir course," he said.