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JACE: Editorial

Volume 8, Number 2, 2003

 This edition of JACE reflects our continued move towards raising the profile of the journal within the international research community. The articles included strike a balance between national and international issues in the post-compulsory years of education. This is particularly welcome as we are witnessing a divergence in educational policy-making both between countries in the United Kingdom (intranational) and between different nation states (inter-national).

A particular important policy document issued since our last publication of JACE has been the Scottish Executive paper on lifelong learning (Scottish Executive, 2003). Although headlined as a response to the report by the Lifelong Learning Committee of the Parliament, the Executive paper has, it can be argued, simply reiterated current policy directions in post-compulsory education. Surprisingly, as the Osborne and Edwards article indicates, much of what has found its way into policy lacks an adequate evidence base to support the claims made by the report. This is particularly the case in the debate surrounding widening access to Higher Education and the success or otherwise of funding individual learning accounts.

Not only is there an apparent lack of empirical evidence to support the link between research and policy making in the post-compulsory years, but there is also little connection between theory and practice. The excellent review of post-16 education and pedagogy described in the Sommerlad article for the Economic and Social Research Council has yet to find its way into the corridors of power at the Scottish Executive. If it did then perhaps we would think twice about the wisdom of relying on market forces and notional qualifications frameworks to structure our education system. One area where we are beginning to see the production of quality data-sets in informing policy decisions has come from the Scottish Household Survey. The Small and Raab paper provides us with an illuminating quantitative study of work-based learning. Perhaps there are no surprises here of the extent, or lack of it, of employer engagement in lifelong learning nor, indeed, the highly skewed participation in learning based upon class and gender in Scotland. However, the writers make a valid point in that here is, perhaps, a missed opportunity to promote social inclusion and lifelong learning policies where they really count, in the workplace.

One of the dangers of being a small country, like Scotland, is that there is not sufficient learning taking place between different national education systems. This inter-national comparative dimension is provided in this issue by contributors from the North East of England and Australia. As England adopts a top-up fee system for Higher Education we are warned, in the paper from Bolam and Dodgson, about the possible consequences on student retention in Higher Education and advised of the need to introduce coherent support and guidance systems for vulnerable students. Meanwhile, the article from Postle and Sturman provides evidence of the likely consequences of transferring the costs of Higher Education to individual learners. Finally, Crichton and Kinsell help us understand further the needs and expectations of one of the most important stakeholders in the system by reflecting on student identity in the context of e-learning.

Roy Canning, Guest Editor

Scottish Executive (2003) Life through Learning: the lifelong learning strategy for Scotland,
Glasgow: Scottish Executive.