Lifelong Learning and the University Lifelong Learning and the University: A Post-Dearing Agenda David Watson and Richard Taylor UK The Falmer Press, 1 Gunpowder Square, London, EC4A 3DE USA The Falmer Press, Taylor & Francis Inc., 1900 Frost Road, Suite 101, Bristol, PA 19007 This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003. © D.Watson and R.Taylor, 1998 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from the Publisher. First published in 1998 A Catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data are available on request ISBN 0-203-20937-0 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-26754-0 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0 7507 0785 2 cased ISBN 0 7507 0784 4 paper Jacket design by Caroline Archer Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders for their permission to reprint material in this book. The publishers would be grateful to hear from any copyright holder who is not here acknowledged and will undertake to rectify any errors or omissions in future editions of this book. Contents List of Figures vi List of Acronyms ix Foreword—Professor Martin Harris xi Introduction xiii Part 1: The Context: From Robbing to Dearing 1 Chapter 1 Changes in UK Higher Education 3 Chapter 2 Changes in Society, the Economy and Politics 14 Chapter 3 Europe and Lifelong Learning 21 Part 2: Participation 25 Chapter 4 Getting into Higher Education 27 Chapter 5 Getting on in Higher Education 33 Chapter 6 Coming Back to Higher Education 39 Part 3: Curriculum 45 Chapter 7 Modules, Semesters and Credits 47 Chapter 8 Learning in the University 55 Chapter 9 Learning Away from the University 62 Chapter 10 The Professional Dimension 68 Chapter 11 Quality and Standards 74 Part 4: Resources 81 Chapter 12 Supporting Students 83 Chapter 13 Supporting Institutions 95 Chapter 14 Supporting Staff 109 Chapter 15 Supporting Communities 115 Chapter 16 Supporting the State 122 Part 5: Impact 129 Chapter 17 Lifelong Learning and the World of Work 131 Chapter 18 Lifelong Learning and the Common Culture 135 Chapter 19 Lifelong Learning and the University Community 142 Part 6: Postscript 149 Chapter 20 The Dearing Vision: A Prognosis 151 Chapter 21 Lifelong Learning and UACE 156 References 166 Index 173 v List of Figures 1 Changes in UK Higher Education Figure 1.1 Total HE students UK, 1960/61 to 1995/96 4 Figure 1.2 Higher education age participation index (API)—GB institutions, 1961–95 4 Figure 1.3 Number of students by mode of study and level of course, 1979–96 5 Figure 1.4 Women as a percentage of total home full-time students, 1979–96 (GB) 6 Figure 1.5 Percentage of home full-time first year students on undergraduate courses aged 21 and over, and 25 and over, 1979–96 (GB) 6 Figure 1.6 Participation rates for Great Britain, by social class, 1991–96 7 Figure 1.7 Ethnicity in higher education and the national population, 1994, per cent 7 Figure 1.8 Numbers of UK domiciled undergraduate students by disability, 1994 8 Figure 1.9 Aspects of participation post-Robbins and post-Baker 9 Figure 1.10 Calls for expansion post-Dearing 11 Figure 1.11 Number of universities, UK, 1950–95 11 2 Changes in Society, the Economy and Politics Figure 2.1 Progress towards national education and training targets in the United Kingdom 15 3 Europe and lifelong Learning Figure 3.1 EYLL themes 1996 23 4 Getting into Higher Education Figure 4.1 Percentage of home full-time degree programme entrants, 1994 28 Figure 4.2 Participation by social classes III–V, 1979–93 28 vi List of Figures 5 Getting on in Higher Education Figure 5.1 British university entrants: A-level scores of home candidates accepted through UCCA, 1971–91 34 Figure 5.2 Outcomes of HEFCE’s quality assessment 1992–95 and 1995–96 35 Figure 5.3 OECD: First degree (or equivalent) graduation rates, 1992 36 7 Modules, Semesters and Credits Figure 7.1 Survey of credit schemes in all universities, 1993 48 Figure 7.2 Inventory of arguments for and against modularity 49–50 Figure 7.3 Dearing: A qualifications framework 52 10 The Professional Dimension Figure 10.1 Change in postgraduate and undergraduate choice of subjects: GB, 1983/84 to 1993/94 69 Figure 10.2 Professional body and educational concerns 70 Figure 10.3 Health care in higher education: Stake-holders 72 11 Quality and Standards Figure 11.1 Historical framework of external quality assurance 75 Figure 11.2 Graduate Standards Programme: Recommendations 77 12 Supporting Students Figure 12.1 Benefits in kind from higher education, 1979–93 87 Figure 12.2 Source of student income, 1988/89, 1992/93 and 1995/96 (students aged under 26 only) 88 Figure 12.3 Dearing: Graduate contribution options 90 13 Supporting Institutions Figure 13.1 Unit public funding, 1979–97 96 Figure 13.2 Public expenditure on higher education in the UK as a percentage of GDP, 1976–95 97 vii List of Figures Figure 13.3 Total expenditure from public, private and international sources for tertiary education institutions plus public subsidies to households, 1995–96 98 Figure 13.4 Public expenditure on higher education in the UK (1995–96 prices) 99 Figure 13.5 HEFCE research funding as a percentage of T and R funding, 1996–97 100 14 Supporting Staff Figure 14.1 Real earnings growth among professional staff, 1981–1992 110 Figure 14.2 Hay review: Selected pay comparisons 1997 110 Figure 14.3 The university hierarchy 112 20 The Dearing Vision: A Prognosis Figure 20.1 The Dearing ‘purposes’ of higher education 152 Figure 20.2 DfEE ‘extra’ funding: 1998–99 153 viii List of Acronyms AGCAS Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services AGR Association of Graduate Recruiters APL Accreditation of Prior Learning APEL Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning APR Age Participation Rate AUT Association of University Teachers BTEC Business and Technician Education Council CAT Colleges of Advanced Technology CATS Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme CBI Confederation of British Industry CE Continuing Education CIHE Council for Industry and Higher Education C&IT Communications and Information Technology CNAA Council for National Academic Awards CPD Continuing Professional Development CVCP Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals CVE Continuing Vocational Education DES Department of Education and Science DfEE Department for Education and Employment DL Distance Learning EU European Union EYLL European Year of Lifelong Learning FE Further Education FEIs Further Education Institutions GDP Gross Domestic Product GNP Gross National Product GNVQ General National Vocational Qualification GSP Graduate Standards Programme HE Higher Education HEQC Higher Education Quality Council HEFCE Higher Education Funding Council for England HEIs Higher Education Institutions HESA Higher Education Statistics Agency HMI Her Majesty’s Inspectorate HNC Higher National Certificate HND Higher National Diploma JANET Joint Academic Network ix List of Acronyms JISC Joint Information Systems Committee LEA Local Education Authority NAB National Advisory Body NCE National Commission on Education NCIHE National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education NCF National Credit Framework NCVQ National Council for Vocational Qualifications NETTs National Education and Training Targets NIACE National Institute of Adult and Continuing Education NUM National Union of Miners NUS National Union of Students NVQ National Vocational Qualification OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OFSTED Office for Standards in Education PAMs Professions Allied to Medicine PCET Post-Compulsory Education and Training PCFC Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council PFI Private Finance Initiative QA Quality Assurance QAA Quality Assurance Agency RAE Research Assessment Exercise RB Responsible Body SARTOR Standards and Routes to Registration SCOP Standing Conference of Principals SCOTVEC Scottish Vocational Education Council SEDA Staff and Educational Developmental Association SMEs Small and Medium-sized Enterprises TECs Training and Enterprise Councils TGWU Transport and General Workers Union TUC Trades Union Congress UACE Universities’ Association for Continuing Education UCAS Universities and Colleges Admissions Service UCOSDA Universities’ and Colleges’ Staff Development Agency UFC Universities Funding Council UGC University Grants Committee WBL Work-Based Learning WEA Workers Educational Association x Foreword Professor Martin Harris The CVCP has published its considered response to the Dearing Report in A New Partnership: Universities, Students, Business and the Nation (CVCP, 1997e). Like David Watson and Richard Taylor, I feel that the controversies that led up to the National Committee of Inquiry, the Report itself, and a range of positive reactions to it (including from the CVCP) have inspired a powerful sense of potential renewal. But, like them, I also know that all of the main partners in the higher education enterprise have to play their parts if this sense of renewal is not to be dissipated and replaced by cynicism or (even worse) indifference. The main contribution of their work is that it takes the key issues—of changes in society, culture and work, of national needs (for high quality education throughout life as well as creative and effective research), of government policy (not least on funding), and of changes in the contemporary map of knowledge— and draws them into the everyday life of universities and colleges. In different ways higher education has always been engaged with such issues, but often slowly, selectively, and until recently almost always on its own terms. Watson and Taylor show how aspects of this response, and elements of the corresponding internal culture of universities themselves, will have to change in order for higher education to play its full part in the learning society.