The Educational Crisis

During the last few years further education has been confronted by a developing crisis in resources caused by the government cutbacks in public expenditure.

Although the universities have experienced a certain number of cuts, they are facing a crisis fundamentally different in character from that of the public sector. Universities are faced by a developing crisis of purpose, because their functions have been defined traditionally in terms that are self-justifying, superior to public criticism and divorced from social need. Increasing numbers of people are questioning the philosophy of university education, which is based on concepts such as 'impartiality', 'knowledge for its own sake', 'excellence', and 'scholarship'. Such questioning is both desirable and necessary, since these concepts provide a theoretical justification for universities to exclude the vast majority of the population, and restrict entry to a small minority; it also helps us to see whether universities are serving the needs of those who do succeed in gaining entry to them.

The elitists claim that specialization in degree-level work sharpens the mind and gives the individual new skills in methods of assimilating and applying knowledge. While the intellectual skills associated with degree courses may assist students in problem-solving, they provide no moral or political framework within which students can evaluate their own expectations and relate these to perceived social needs. The increased speed of decision-making, the growing refinement in the social division of labor and the growth of the mass media have increased the impact of political decisions on the individual. All students require broad preparation so as to understand social processes and to participate in decision-making throughout life. For example, course options in political studies and multiracial education could do much to heighten students understanding of national social-policy objectives, and to assist them in gaining the confidence necessary to participate in wider debate. So far, the universities have offered little along these lines.

Courses should also offer students a broader experience of practical education and training. At present, we tend to assume that, apart from fully fledged sandwich courses, there is no need for degree courses to offer periods of work experience and placements based on practical training. As yet, no reason has been given by universities for rejecting those work-experience schemes that ate currently being developed in the public sector. The students should at least be given the chance and work experience should become an option in arts and social-science courses just as in science-based courses.

A new balance should be found which can provide for academic discipline and research, within the context of broad preparation for life, and an experience of practical activity. We should seek a framework for education that enhances ideological pluralism and identifies a plurality of goals, subject to continual reassessment.

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