Women in higher education

EDITORIAL

Women in higher education

‘Women recent

lose out on jobs’ was the headline issue of The

Supplement recent

(‘The

reports

universities moving

the

of Health

also reported

lecturer

and Community

technic to an industrial

There

three times (THES

proportionately

few

women

academic

and

the

resentation ors

Principals

comment (THE!3

about

the dissenior rep-

of Vice Chancell-

issue

The recent

drew

amused

of The

Higher

report

1991

shows that

‘overall 88% of women were paid on lecturer scales compared to 63% of males. 10% of women were senior lecturers compared to a quarter of male academics. Chly 2% of women were professors compared to 12% of males’ (THES I99 I h, Dee 6, p2)

are choosing

seeking Those health

because

they

have

less time

which is the key criterion Nurses

emerging

for the

and

from

statistics

the

summarised

by the above.

(not to mention

professions

(nursing,

social work) fare any better as a result of moving out of the NHS? In fact, this is as good a time as any for entry higher education

(HE). The nature of the major

changes

currently

greater

welcome

in process for

from HE institutions case even student

toward

the

for

ago.

and

some

The

staff

of the

smaller

status.

education,

and teaching,

mature

and emphasis

experienced with decrease restructuring,

a large increase

Institutions and

most

are have

in student numbers

in staff resources. Management audit and quality assessment are

has their

movement

greater

in

access for

upon vocational

weight to the arguments

leaped.

education

a the

flexibility

decks

overspent

in higher

of nursing The

course structure students

colleges

more

in

are

intake and enhanced

polytechnic mass

a

increases

resources

of a school or college the student

to

ensure

professions

than would have been the

a few years

numbers

should

nursing

The increase in the number of women) nurse lecturers and researchers

and

will

teaching,

current stormy economic and political waters as the lurching health service ship from whose have just

If

other

of power) are still disadvantaged,

‘female’

training

they

as an

recognition

ture of the past are likely to find that the leaky ship of higher education is as battered in the

underfunded

and

education

may well be disappointed

institutions

claim

cul-

and

system in their

in professional

women in the professions

research

the training

names

while smaller colleges are

into higher

advance

status

doubled

has long been in

and

‘polys’ of

who see the entry of the nursing

important

probably

for promotion.

The ivory tower of academia ruins.

199 1 a). Women

promoted,

The

to the university

professions

admission

(THES

getting

is under-

universities

new university

professors,

entry

below the male average not

of

wake.

bonus;

are

system

is now abandoned.

appointing

As a result, womens salaries are more than 16% it seems

mass higher education

binary

employment

holding

(CVCP)

in an earlier 1991b).

down for a

lack of female

on the Committee

and

is

City Poly-

1991a).

has long been concern posts,

of the

tribunal claiming that sex

led her to be turned

professorship

in

Studies -

Sheffield

terms;

The

polytechnics

A senior

Director

familiar way.

of women

grade.

Acting

to be taking

discrimination

procedures

the majority

formerly

in a

Education

which highlighted

of sexist selection

above -

Higher

Higher’)

that prevent

academic School

Times

cannot

be advan-

tagous.

of womens development

contribution

for greater

recognition

to education

and t.he

providing

they are

able to pull their weight. The majority

of nurse

teachers

of knowledge,

(mainl) will add

are already

graduates

in the subjects

2

NURSE EDUCATION

TODAY

being taught and have much to offer in relation to educational academics

technology.

the new

have more to learn about knowledge

development

and the establishment

as a discipline. from

However,

There

collegiate

in teaching

of culture

responsibilities

environment

involved

where

and how, to merge

of nursing

is also a change

line management

to the

all are

and research

directly

and subject

Providing

then that the new departments

nursing in higher education respectable,

provide

these

further

toward

developments

impetus

to

ing momentum.

the

should

Teachers

(AUT)

pathetic

hearing.

of dis-

of sex or race which,

reported

and is expected

to get a sym-

continues

by

and the authors

and

learning

Peter Jarvis

which develops

to negotiate

(Council

of

nurse their

emerges

of from

in higher

to belong

professional

longer employed

to be created higher

in

education

Polytechnics) these

education

to this union, association,

body.

negotiations, may find it as well as to

if they

are

no

within the NHS.

References Times 27: Times Dee

Higher I,3 Higher 6: 2

Education

Supplement

I99la

Education

Supplement

1991 b THES,

JEAN

Cernick

and

and Kellahear

a theory

the idea of creative

successful learning. Mander discusses ence as the basis of practice and Burnard

on health

experiential

From

Canada

problems

change

with greater

and social subjects,

discuss Australian

as to the relevance

theme in this

Dee

F. WALKER

in his study perceive

emphasis

and assessment.

is another

tutors

THE&

learning.

last

to develop competency

presents

in calls

with the new CVCPlCDP

Directors

teachers

(NATFHE)

forum

to the new single

At a time of curriculum

concerning

Morrison

response.

as a basis for planning

Experiential

education

to the Editor

Ashworth

Evans, however, decided

issue.

response

A joint

of the AUT

of Teachers

Education

for a single bargaining

nurse of competence-based

with letters

article

Association

and Higher

of the work for equal oppor-

In this issue The discussion

National

secretaries

above, are gather-

The heads of these institutions

At the forefront

objectives

the

Further

necessary

are already concerned about these matters; one report comes from the Association of University

October

and

or work together.

from the general

Whatever

movements

and removal

on grounds

despite the evidence

of

are seen as academi-

equal opportunity

crimination

the

report

system

specialists.

cally

tunities in higher education are the ‘lecturer unions’ which are currently discussing whether,

of social subjects

Wood

and

Kubin

Millen

students’ views to nursing. consider

of decision making where students

fail

of action

to progress.

action

or peculiar to North America? Student progress is monitored in different ways in our various

in

experithe way

learning

Is the situation they describe

the

institutions.

general