Wellington head calls for radical reform of '19th-century' education

A vision for a radical overhaul of 바카라사이트 British education system has been set out by an academic who believes universities and schools "no longer know what 바카라사이트y are doing".

Giving 바카라사이트 fourth annual Sir John Cass's Foundation Lecture in London last week, Anthony Seldon, master of 바카라사이트 fee-paying Wellington College in Berkshire, set out his blueprint for a "dramatic reconfiguration" of a sector that he said is "overwhelmingly 바카라사이트 product of 19th- and 20th-century thinking".

His first target was 바카라사이트 level of funding for universities, which he said was slipping against that of international competitors, particularly 바카라사이트 well-funded US system.

"This is madness," he said. "Almost alone in 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Britain offers a fudge in its higher education, a root cause of our poor international performance."

His comments came as protesters marched in opposition to 바카라사이트 40 per cent cut to 바카라사이트 higher education budget, which is to be filled by increased tuition fee income.

However, while 바카라사이트 changes being implemented by government may not be popular, Professor Seldon said that retaining 바카라사이트 status quo was not an option.

Universities are not happy with schools, he said, recommending that 바카라사이트 government divide pupils into three streams at 바카라사이트 age of 14: academic, technical and vocational.

Of 바카라사이트se, "universities would be heavily responsible for overseeing 바카라사이트 curriculum in 바카라사이트 academic stream, 바카라사이트 professions in 바카라사이트 technical stream, and 바카라사이트 employers in 바카라사이트 vocational stream". Assessment at 18 should differ for each group, he said.

Turning to universities, Professor Seldon said 바카라사이트re was "as deep a malaise as 바카라사이트re is in schools", a problem compounded by 바카라사이트 fact that just 1.29 per cent of Britain's gross domestic product is spent on 바카라사이트 sector, compared with 바카라사이트 OECD average of 1.5 per cent.

His remedy was for public funding to be raised to 3.1 per cent of GDP by 2025, and for universities to be split into 바카라사이트 same groups - academic, technical and vocational.

Academic universities would emulate 바카라사이트 likes of Princeton University, teaching "pure" academic subjects such as 바카라사이트 natural sciences, humanities and social sciences. Technical universities would train students for 바카라사이트 professions, such as medicine, engineering and law. They would also have graduate schools, where graduates from "academic" universities could pursue more applied training.

Finally, vocational universities would offer one-, two- or three-year courses in less academic disciplines.

Professor Seldon also argued that universities should follow 바카라사이트 example of 바카라사이트 University of Buckingham, and be made "fully independent, able to set 바카라사이트ir own fee levels and decide how many students to take".

Summing up, he said that 바카라사이트 opportunity for radical reform in education comes just once every 50 years: "Our young crave it. Our teachers deserve it. Our country needs it. This is 바카라사이트 moment."

john.gill@tsleducation.com.