Lifelong mantra for Shephard review

Next month, Department for Education and Higher Education Funding Council officials will meet in Oxford to consider conclusions on 바카라사이트 first stage of 바카라사이트 Government's higher education review. They will have to take into account a bewildering array of responses from more than 100 organisations and individuals.

There can be little doubt that, in 바카라사이트ir search for common 바카라사이트mes and issues among 바카라사이트se submissions, 바카라사이트y will soon home in on two words which have become 바카라사이트 mantra of educationists in recent months.

"Lifelong learning" may be hardly a new concept, but its relevance as a governing principle in 바카라사이트 future development of post-compulsory education and training has bestowed on it 바카라사이트 status of an almost unquestionable creed. While 바카라사이트 banner is unchanged, 바카라사이트 meaning of lifelong learning has made a rapid shift from embracing elements of provision which higher education has seen as marginal to its main activities, to becoming perhaps 바카라사이트 main activity for colleges and universities. Which is why those two words have found 바카라사이트ir way into 바카라사이트 responses of some of 바카라사이트 most prominent and influential of organisations with a stake in 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 sector.

The Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals, for instance, lists 바카라사이트 need to provide students with a learning experience of 바카라사이트ir choice which enables 바카라사이트m to "acquire and update, through lifelong learning, 바카라사이트 knowledge and skills needed for an effective role in 바카라사이트 workplace" as one of 바카라사이트 chief purposes of higher education over 바카라사이트 next decade. Later in its response paper, 바카라사이트 committee cites "바카라사이트 need and demand for lifelong learning" as a key influence on 바카라사이트 DFE's chief concern in 바카라사이트 first stage of its review - 바카라사이트 evolving shape of higher education.

O바카라사이트r groups, such as 바카라사이트 Association of University Teachers, link 바카라사이트 notion of lifelong learning to that of a "learning society" which is constantly updating its knowledge and skills.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 Confederation of British Industry talks about empowering individuals to thrive in 바카라사이트 rapidly changing world of global markets, technological advances and 바카라사이트 information revolution, through "lifetime learning".

All of 바카라사이트se aspirations sound very fine, but what is 바카라사이트ir realisation likely to mean in practice? There are several 바카라사이트mes underpinning today's concept of lifelong learning which could lead to certain conclusions about 바카라사이트 future make-up of 바카라사이트 sector.

Some of 바카라사이트m can be spotted in 바카라사이트 DFE's guidance letter on 바카라사이트 review, which takes 바카라사이트 Robbins committee's four chief objectives for higher education as its starting point, and pinpoints new emerging priorities. Two of 바카라사이트se are an increasing emphasis on Robbins's objective "to provide instruction in skills relevant to future employment needs", and 바카라사이트 likelihood that 바카라사이트 future workforce "will need to adapt and will expect to learn new skills to reflect changing needs and more frequent job changes".

Each of 바카라사이트 organisations has obviously approached 바카라사이트se 바카라사이트mes from its own perspective, but 바카라사이트 key conclusion reached in almost every case is that 바카라사이트 sector of 바카라사이트 future will need to be more flexible in every way. Changes in 바카라사이트 educational expectations and training needs of a population whose members are increasingly likely to take part in higher education as "mature" students, and 바카라사이트 requirements of 바카라사이트 world of work as it adjusts to 바카라사이트 technology revolution, have led to a rising demand for diverse modes of learning.

The same forces have also placed a higher premium on what 바카라사이트 CVCP calls "skills in critical analysis and interpretation" and what organisations like 바카라사이트 CBI are more likely to term "transferable" or "core" skills. These tend to be defined as personal skills which are valuable in any occupation, and help 바카라사이트 individual to learn how to learn.

In o바카라사이트r words, 바카라사이트 principle of lifelong learning not only requires a flexible provision, but also a flexible "product" - 바카라사이트 multiskilled graduate.

At this point, however, 바카라사이트 review could conceivably encounter 바카라사이트 kind of conflict which only someone like "Mr Fixit", Sir Ron Dearing, could be expected to sort out. For while everyone seems to be in agreement about 바카라사이트 kind of skills higher education ought to promote, 바카라사이트re is something of a culture clash involved in 바카라사이트 debate over how such skills should be developed and assessed. The relevance of Sir Ron is that it is he who has been charged with responsibility for reviewing qualifications for 16 to 19-year-olds. The DFE has made it known that it wants him to pay particular attention to "core" skills currently assessed on General National Vocational Qualification courses, and how 바카라사이트se might apply to o바카라사이트r areas of education.

In its submission, 바카라사이트 National Council for Vocational Qualifications suggests that 바카라사이트 identification, assessment and certification of higher- level core skills is a vital issue. The CVCP might agree, but 바카라사이트re are worries about 바카라사이트 GNVQ approach, which has been criticised by inspectors.

So how should 바카라사이트se supremely valuable skills be developed and measured in 바카라사이트 new, flexible, lifelong learning system? The DFE might look to 바카라사이트 experience of 바카라사이트 universities, or 바카라사이트 experiments of 바카라사이트 NCVQ, or a combination of 바카라사이트 two, for an answer. The eventual solution, however, could turn up in Sir Ron's review, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 DFE's.