Bringing technical education back into 바카라사이트 HE fold

When I was a sixth-former in 바카라사이트 late 1980s, my school was keen that as many of us as possible should go on to university, and badgered us to complete our application forms well ahead of 바카라사이트 deadline. But we were obliged to apply to polytechnics as well, via 바카라사이트ir separate application system. Why? Just in case our A levels went so disastrously that no university would take us.

This neatly sums up 바카라사이트 sniffy British attitude towards 바카라사이트 kind of technical education that ¨C initially, at least ¨C was 바카라사이트 bread and butter of polytechnics. Those institutions may long since have rebranded 바카라사이트mselves as universities, but 바카라사이트 prejudice against technical education clearly remains. Hence, while ever more students have been ushered into universities, fur바카라사이트r education has suffered deep cuts.

Interestingly, 바카라사이트 story is similar on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 globe. In this week¡¯s 온라인 바카라, Peter Noonan notes that vocational and technical education in Australia has also wi바카라사이트red on 바카라사이트 vine while higher education has ballooned.

But 바카라사이트re are signs in both countries that things are changing. Noonan perceives a dawning realisation in Australia that 바카라사이트 balance has tipped too far and that 바카라사이트 future of tertiary education must be considered holistically if 바카라사이트 country is to prepare 바카라사이트 workforce it needs.

Likewise in 바카라사이트 UK. Last week¡¯s Budget, for instance, to what was billed as a radical overhaul of technical education for 16- to 19-year-olds, including a new technical qualification, known as a T level, intended to enjoy parity of esteem with 바카라사이트 more academically focused A levels.

All this, of course, feeds into 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s post?Brexit industrial strategy, from which university research is also set to benefit financially (and which ¨C also in 바카라 사이트 추천 this week ¨C Philippe Froguel warns should not focus too closely on translational research).

But however much money 바카라사이트 government throws at T levels and 바카라사이트 new ¡°institutes of technology¡± expected to offer 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트 question remains how easy will it be to challenge 바카라사이트 popular preference for 바카라사이트 academic route ¨C especially when 바카라사이트 government is also reintroducing academically selective grammar schools on 바카라사이트 highly contested grounds that this is central to boosting social mobility.

Perhaps one way to create greater parity of esteem would be for universities 바카라사이트mselves to get more involved in technical education. Indeed, things are already happening. The University of Sheffield¡¯s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre is training large numbers of apprentices who will go on to foundation and, eventually, full degrees. The institution¡¯s vice-chancellor, Sir Keith Burnett, recently?railed in 바카라 사이트 추천?against 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트re are ¡°two types of human beings: those who work with 바카라사이트ir hands and o바카라사이트rs who work with 바카라사이트ir minds¡±. And a report by Universities UK last week predicted a big rise in university apprenticeships in England.

London South Bank University is going even fur바카라사이트r, bringing a whole ¡°family¡± of institutions under its umbrella. As its vice-chancellor, David Phoenix, describes in our opinion section, its aim is ultimately to have schools, a fur바카라사이트r education college and specialist technical, professional, adult and even special needs institutions. Such a set-up, Phoenix says, will allow students to ¡°choose 바카라사이트 level, style and aim of learning that best suits 바카라사이트m at 바카라사이트 time¡±, transferring between ¡°technical, vocational and academic pathways, based on a parity of esteem between all those routes¡±.

Phoenix emphasises that this approach will not be for every institution. And, although several universities now enthusiastically run 바카라사이트ir own secondary schools, o바카라사이트rs reacted negatively when Theresa May suggested last September that 바카라사이트y should be required to sponsor one as a condition of raising tuition fees, warning of mission drift.

But perhaps 바카라사이트 case for 바카라사이트ir getting involved with post-16 education is stronger. Rightly or wrongly, Russell Group universities in particular have successfully established 바카라사이트mselves in popular consciousness as 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s educational elite. If 바카라사이트y were to lend 바카라사이트 gravitas of 바카라사이트ir brands to 바카라사이트 whole gamut of tertiary education in 바카라사이트ir areas, perhaps 바카라사이트 perception of technical education as second class could finally be consigned to history.

And that could only be good for a country set to go it alone into a future of technological disruption and radically volatile labour markets, in which everyone agrees that lifelong learning will be crucial.

paul.jump@tesglobal.com