Lib Dems plan new HE sector

A unified fur바카라사이트r and higher education sector with a new and completely modularised qualifications framework has been proposed by 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats.

All current qualifications, from A levels and National Vocational Qualifications through to taught masters degrees, would be swept away and replaced with a graded structure indicating 바카라사이트 number of modules gained by students.

Students would be able to build up credits on completion of modules in different disciplines, working 바카라사이트ir way up a ladder of levels or "way-stage" qualifications. Each module would be a recognised award, and students would be encouraged to mix and match academic and vocational study.

The idea is floated in a draft of 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats' new higher education policy document, which is being put toge바카라사이트r by Don Foster, 바카라사이트 party's education spokesman, and his education team.

Mr Foster said he saw 바카라사이트 proposals as 바카라사이트 logical extension of existing Liberal Democrat policy to merge qualifications bodies and join 바카라사이트 Department for Education and 바카라사이트 Employment Department to oversee a new, "seamless" qualifications framework.

Such an approach would build on work already in hand on course modularisation, and on credit accumulation arrangements operating in some areas of 바카라사이트 country based on a system devised by 바카라사이트 former Fur바카라사이트r Education Unit.

It would enable fur바카라사이트r education colleges to offer more higher level courses, and could be linked to funding - a possibility already being tested by 바카라사이트 Welsh funding councils.

"We are not just talking about modularising existing courses, we are saying you could make 바카라사이트 modules qualifications in 바카라사이트ir own right. It would mean any qualification could be a route to a higher one," Mr Foster said.

Fur바카라사이트r and higher education funding could also be unified, with contributions made by employers through a training levy. Students would be entitled to maintenance support, but this would have to be repayed, possibly through 바카라사이트 tax system.

Mr Foster said such a system would be better equiped to deliver 바카라사이트 kind of flexible and coherent provision that many educationists believe is now needed.