Further, Higher, Better?

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Further, Higher, Better?

• Gareth Parry
• University of Sheffield

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Why divide, and does it matter?

• a long-standing feature?
• an English peculiarity?
• an issue for public policy?

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Some policy history ...

• 1944 an FE system the universities
• 1966 colleges-polytechnics the universities
• 1988 FE polytechnics the universities
• 1992 FE HE
• 2000 LS HE

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Staying with sectors ...

• Policy silence, except for
• the uniqueness of HE
• the disorder of post-16

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From elite to mass the FE contribution

• England a qualifying rather than providing
  role for FE
• Scotland a leading role for FE in taking HE
  expansion

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From mass to near-universal access the FE
contribution

• England breaking the traditional pattern of
  demand, with dual sectors (the English
  experiment)
• Scotland holding at 50, with tertiary
  arrangements

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Contemporary configurations of FE and HE

• mixed economy colleges
• dual-sector universities
• cross-sector partnerships

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Dual-sector universities

• FEHE
• TVU 6040
• Leeds Metropolitan University 4555
• University of the Arts 5050
• University of Derby 4060
• Writtle College 9010
• Birmingham CFTCS 8020

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Semi-compulsory partnerships

• for validation
• for (indirect) funding
• for (increasing widening) participation
• for (vocational) progression Lifelong Learning
  Networks, with additional funded numbers

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So, do sectors matter?

• no restraint on partnerships
• functional for some
• a check on mission drift?
• but
• asymmetries of policy and power
• double stratification social institutional
• a common enterprise?

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After 2010?

• spending review
• fee deregulation
• demographic downturn

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The ESRC FurtherHigher Project

• Why do the English divide?
• With what effect on organisations?
• With what impact on participation and equity?
• k.kitchen_at_sheffield.ac.uk