Category: Education

We have a new form of government now. 

Hopefully this will be the start of an era of grand creative thinking. 

Where people in groups do not all think in the same way, many more exciting developments, ideas and creative solutions to difficult problems have the opportunity to emerge.

I hope we will see more creative solutions in the field of education. 

To me, it is a terrible thing that a child can spend eight years of his or her life in a classroom and still emerge from school unable to read or write properly. 

What greater handicap can there be to a successful adult working and home life?

Many people are appalled that funding is being cut to universities and colleges of higher education.

Nevertheless, that is another area in our lives that is also in need of urgent reform.

Of course we need a well-educated work-force and in any event learning for its own sake is of supreme importance.

And of course young people should leave home, live independently and learn about themselves as well as learn more about subjects they are interested in and wish to develop a career or find a job in.

But do they have to take three years to do this? 

Qualifying for a degree does not necessarily mean there will be a job at the end of this time.

And does so much of the three-year period have to be spent socialising or working on their own?

This puts a tremendous burden on so many people and systems. 

I am sure that many qualifications could be equally valuable after a period of only two years. 

What about re-thinking how we offer learning and access to qualifications?

There may be many better ways of achieving a well-educated work-force than the one we have at present.

There are opportunities now to create many different kinds of learning. 

Shorter courses, online courses, different combinations of subjects for changing job markets – these are just a few of the ideas we could explore.

If we open our minds to new thinking around higher education, we may begin to find those grand ideas which will benefit each and every one of us in the austerity years ahead.