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Financing education
NURSE EDUCATION TODAY
Nurse Education Today
26
Financing education THE reduction in Government funding for nursing, midwifery and health visiting education shows little regard for the past endeavours of the professions to rais e and to maintain standards, nor for the future development of education in the NHS. It has often been said th at its teachers produce the seed corn of the profession. It is as often the practice that the professions' teachers ar e the least regarded when it comes to adequate provision for education. The policy of expediency seems to dictate priorities without any particular regard for the long-term effects, wh eth er they be in the reduction of learners as in 1976 or of teachers in 1984. Inevitably some consideration mu st be given to the ratios of teachers and learners. Ii has been demonstrated that the more clinically orientated the course the higher needs to be the teacher/learner ratio. There has been sufficient research over the years to suggest that more clinically ori entated and better supervised courses are more satisfying for the teacher and the learner, more credible for the learner and the practitioner and more effective in providing a more relevantly prepared practitioner for current and future needs. The major difficulty has been in how to meet these targets with a static or diminishing teacher population. Places in Colleges/departments of edu cation have been increased, the two-year diploma nurse tutor course has been phased out and one-year certificate courses have expanded. Slowly, the ratio of teacher to learner has been brought nearer to that of the former GNC target of 1-15. In some instances this has been brought about by a reduction in learners rather than an increase in teachers and in other places and for some courses, even 1-15 is wildly unrealistic. Nonetheless, it must be said th at there has be en progress in nursing education in the last 10 years which has offered some hope for the future. Most nurse teachers have taken heart and invested their own time and money in acquiring first degrees, advanced diplomas and higher degrees-all with a view to improving the climate and process of learning. Now it would seem that effort is to be rewarded by further retrenchment. There is no doubt but that some teacher-courses will become nonviable and opportunities for qualifying as a teacher will be reduced. Is this the way to ensure an adequate and an appropriate service for the year ZOOO? It may b e ... if the intention is to TRAIN and instruct compliant technicians rather than to EDUCATE selfdetermining and adaptable professionals. In this and subsequent issues, we shall be dealing with strategies of learning and of teaching. There is much that is exciting and encouraging in this field to the development of which NET subscribes. We happen to believe that the caring professions will become increasingly rather than less labour intensive. We happen to believe that as the less able in our society need more rather than less support and as the numbers in the population by age and infirmity increase, so more resourceful, more creative and more imaginative systems of care will need to be devi sed. Such a programme has no chance of success unless the persons responsible for such care have themselves been educated in those skills and arts which promote radical thinking, imaginative -ideas and self-evaluation. Such styles of thinking start with the educational process and that process starts with the preparation of the teachers. Every effort must be made by statutory bodies, professional organisations and by teachers themselves to stem the erosion of what has so far been achieved and to obtain the means by which the impetus is re-established so that education may move purposefully forward to meet the health service challenges still to come. S J Holder :D 1981 Lo ngma n Gr oup LId.
Nurse Education Today
26
Financing education THE reduction in Government funding for nursing, midwifery and health visiting education shows little regard for the past endeavours of the professions to rais e and to maintain standards, nor for the future development of education in the NHS. It has often been said th at its teachers produce the seed corn of the profession. It is as often the practice that the professions' teachers ar e the least regarded when it comes to adequate provision for education. The policy of expediency seems to dictate priorities without any particular regard for the long-term effects, wh eth er they be in the reduction of learners as in 1976 or of teachers in 1984. Inevitably some consideration mu st be given to the ratios of teachers and learners. Ii has been demonstrated that the more clinically orientated the course the higher needs to be the teacher/learner ratio. There has been sufficient research over the years to suggest that more clinically ori entated and better supervised courses are more satisfying for the teacher and the learner, more credible for the learner and the practitioner and more effective in providing a more relevantly prepared practitioner for current and future needs. The major difficulty has been in how to meet these targets with a static or diminishing teacher population. Places in Colleges/departments of edu cation have been increased, the two-year diploma nurse tutor course has been phased out and one-year certificate courses have expanded. Slowly, the ratio of teacher to learner has been brought nearer to that of the former GNC target of 1-15. In some instances this has been brought about by a reduction in learners rather than an increase in teachers and in other places and for some courses, even 1-15 is wildly unrealistic. Nonetheless, it must be said th at there has be en progress in nursing education in the last 10 years which has offered some hope for the future. Most nurse teachers have taken heart and invested their own time and money in acquiring first degrees, advanced diplomas and higher degrees-all with a view to improving the climate and process of learning. Now it would seem that effort is to be rewarded by further retrenchment. There is no doubt but that some teacher-courses will become nonviable and opportunities for qualifying as a teacher will be reduced. Is this the way to ensure an adequate and an appropriate service for the year ZOOO? It may b e ... if the intention is to TRAIN and instruct compliant technicians rather than to EDUCATE selfdetermining and adaptable professionals. In this and subsequent issues, we shall be dealing with strategies of learning and of teaching. There is much that is exciting and encouraging in this field to the development of which NET subscribes. We happen to believe that the caring professions will become increasingly rather than less labour intensive. We happen to believe that as the less able in our society need more rather than less support and as the numbers in the population by age and infirmity increase, so more resourceful, more creative and more imaginative systems of care will need to be devi sed. Such a programme has no chance of success unless the persons responsible for such care have themselves been educated in those skills and arts which promote radical thinking, imaginative -ideas and self-evaluation. Such styles of thinking start with the educational process and that process starts with the preparation of the teachers. Every effort must be made by statutory bodies, professional organisations and by teachers themselves to stem the erosion of what has so far been achieved and to obtain the means by which the impetus is re-established so that education may move purposefully forward to meet the health service challenges still to come. S J Holder :D 1981 Lo ngma n Gr oup LId.