The Future of FE in Context

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The Future of FE in Context

• Dr David Collins

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The telephone

• This telephone has too many shortcomings to be
  seriously considered as a means of communication.
  The device is inherently of no value to us
  Western Union memo 1876

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The computer

• Computers in the future will weigh no more than
  1.5 tons. Popular Mechanics 1949

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The Good Old Days

• The weather was better
• Front doors were always left unlocked
• Neighbours were constantly borrowing cups of
  sugar.
• Beer was 2d a pint
• Monday was washing day
• Everyone wore hats

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The 1950s family car
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The 1950s Bathroom
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1950s Television
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Monday 18th February 1957

• BBC TELEVISION 3.00pm Mainly for WomenLook and
  Choose an enquiry into vacuum cleanersQuick and
  Easy DressmakingFashion Report
• 3.45-4.00 Watch with Mother Picture Book
• 5.00 Children's Television Studio 'E' Vera
  McKechnie introduces George Cansdale and his
  animal guests, Ion Trant on his Welsh farm, Ossie
  Noble with Harold Taylor and Carlos with his
  pigeons, Reg Darnley and his holiday harmonica,
  and 'Packi', a strip cartoon drawn by Tony Hart.
• 5.57 The Weather
• 6.00 News and Sports News
• 6.05 Tonight A new early evening programme for
  all the family, introduced by Cliff Michelmore
• 6.45 Monday Melody
• 7.15 News and Behind the Headlines
• 7.30 This is Your Life with Eamonn Andrews
• 8.00 Theatre Night The Member of the Wedding
• 8.45 Panorama with Richard Dimbleby
• 9.30 Off the Record introduced by Jack Payne
• 10.00 Meet Jeanne Heal Jeanne talks to her
  visitors on a topic of her choice
• 10.15 Picture Parade A weekly magazine of films
  and film personalities
• 10.45 News Weather and Closedown

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The 1950s Classroom
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Education in the 1950s

• A preparation for life and work
• Because
• Careers/Jobs were relatively stable
• People didnt move around very much
• The pace of change was comparatively steady
• The world was segmented

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1950s Education

• School leaving age 15
• Grammar and secondary modern schools
• Technical colleges
• Free university education (Top 5)
• GCE O Levels and A Levels
• LEA controlled
• And we still had the cane!!

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Whats changed

• Local, regional, national, international mobility
• The need to up skill and change careers several
  times during a lifetime
• Change is getting quicker (Step changes are
  unpredictable?)
• Technology alters the teacher/learner relationship

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Today - The family car (Well almost!)
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The Bathroom today
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The Television today
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The Classroom today???
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Education today

• Comprehensive schools
• Specialist schools
• Grammar schools
• Academies
• Tertiary, Sixth form and FE colleges
• University education (50?)
• School leaving age 16 -18?
• The Skills agenda etc etc etc

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Education today

• Front loaded and full-time
• Preparing for the university and/or a first job?
• Based on local priorities (FE)
• Locked into immediate known employment needs (the
  emphasis on skills)
• With staff woefully undertrained in the new
  technologies

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Holding back the tide
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The Change Equation
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The Organisational Iceberg
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The Need for Revolution not Evolution

• The irrelevance of the national curriculum
  (schools)
• With too tight a focus on the needs of present
  employers in FE
• And Higher Education (undergraduate) which is
  locked into the 19th century
• With piecemeal (sectional) approaches to reform
• And no clear linkage between education and real
  life! (currently a preparation for rather than a
  part of)

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FE Today The Typical College?

• 225 Teachers
• 150 Support Staff
• 10 Learning Resource areas
• 25 Specialist areas
• 50 classrooms
• 10000 F/ t and P/t Students
• 250 Programmes of Study

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The Student Experience 2000

• Selects a programme from a menu
• Interviewed and admitted
• Follows a one/two year course
• Up to 15 hours teaching a week in college
• 1 hour tutorial time
• 5-10 hours home study time
• Assessed at set points

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Change Factors

• The need for lifelong learning
• The changing pattern of work and leisure
• The increasing application of new technology
• The growth and availability of knowledge
• A world-wide communication network

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FE Tomorrow The Typical College?

• 250 Learning guides
• 50 Support staff
• 25 Resource areas
• 25 Specialist areas
• 35 Discussion rooms with digital whiteboards and
  world-wide video
• 25000 Associate students
• 25000 Personal learning programmes

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The Student Experience 2020

• Interviewed to ascertain a personal learning
  programme constantly reviewed by computer and
  learning guide
• College attendance varies between 3 and 6 hours a
  week
• Home study varies between 12 and 15 hours a week
• Assessment on demand (Following self assessment)

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Beyond today..
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Dont panic!