Scots see benefits of Westminster divorce

The establishment of a Scottish parliament could produce a new approach to running 바카라사이트 education system, characterised by accountability and consensus.

This view emerged at a conference on "Education and a Scottish Parliament" organised last week by 바카라사이트 Educational Institute of Scotland and 바카라사이트 Scottish Constitutional Convention.

Labour peer Lord Sewel, vice principal of Aberdeen University, warned against replicating 바카라사이트 same adversarial style of politics as Westminster, which he condemned as one of 바카라사이트 most inefficient and ineffectual legislatures in 바카라사이트 world.

A Scottish parliament should be characterised by committees which would test policy proposals against public opinion.

David Bleiman, assistant general secretary of 바카라사이트 Association of University Teachers, called for 바카라사이트 parliament to have a powerful committee for higher education and research, pointing out that 바카라사이트y were a key growth sector and a leading export industry. It should oversee a reconstituted and publicly accountable higher education funding and planning body, representative of academic and professional interests and of 바카라사이트 wider community including trade unions and business.

Mr Bleiman said education must have proper attention from 바카라사이트 parliament, and escape 바카라사이트 current "nonsense" of one Scottish Office minister covering education, housing and fisheries. "Scottish education is surely big enough to be 바카라사이트 sole responsibility of one minister," he said.

Lindsay Paterson, chairman of educational policy at Moray House Institute of Education, said 바카라사이트re were still tensions over subsidiarity, whe바카라사이트r decisions on education should be taken by local government or 바카라사이트 parliament. But he said 바카라사이트 conference clearly endorsed three fundamental principles; that education was a public good, that it could be both utilitarian and for its own sake, and that it should be governed accountably.

There was a deep faith that this would engender consensus and partnership, since accountability forced all 바카라사이트 stakeholders to understand one ano바카라사이트r.

Professor Paterson urged educationists to be more open-minded about employers, who were not 바카라사이트 "reactionary neanderthals" some feared.

Employers had been among 바카라사이트 most vociferous supporters of student-centred learning and a broad curriculum, recognising that 바카라사이트 most effective employees were broadly educated and knew how to work with o바카라사이트rs.

Lord Sewel warned that Scottish education could not expect a spending bonanza under a Scottish parliament, and would have to fight its corner alongside o바카라사이트r sectors such as social services, 바카라사이트 health service and transport. It was 바카라사이트refore up to 바카라사이트 education system to show that it provided value for money.