Friday, January 18, 2008

Curiouser and curiouser

The Innovation, Universities and Skills Parliamentary Select Committee met yesterday to consider the funding changes that will affect part-time learning. Sally Hunt of the University and College Union got it spot on:

Contradictory government policy in education is by no means a new phenomenon, but these changes fly in the face of government rhetoric about lifelong learning and its importance to the economy and the future prosperity of the country. We have yet to find any support for the changes and believe this is the most widely-condemned government education policy of the last 10 years.

The Government made some concessions but they were minimal and, in one case, bizarre. A number of subjects are exempt from the policy as they are of strategic importance. They promised that the list would be reviewed annually and a new subject could be added but only if another one was knocked off. Fighting over lifeboats is now official policy. That is going to make planning fun.

There is a good report here and the UCU have a detailed account with links here.

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