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Continuing Higher Education in the United Kingdom

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Continuing Higher Education and Lifelong Learning

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Abstract

The study about continuing higher education (CHE) in the United Kingdom shows findings on three levels: on the system level, the institutional level and the programme level. On the system level definitions and characteristics of CHE are discussed. In addition to that CHE providers, the framework conditions and the role of CHE in the UK are presented. On the institutional level it presents information about organisational structures and management of CHE. The study reveals profiles of the selected universities and deals with questions about quality assurance, funding and future prospects. On the programme level the study presents information about the different course types and partnerships.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The Russell Group includes 19 research-intensive universities in the UK. The Group was founded in 1994 at a meeting of the Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the institutions at London’s Hotel Russell. In 2003–2004, Russell Group universities attracted 60% of all research funding given to UK institutions (some £1.7 billion), awarded about 55% of all PhDs that year and taught more than 30% of all non-EU foreign students studying in the UK. In the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), 78% of researchers with 5* ratings and 57% of those with 5 ratings worked for Russell Group universities (Russell Group, 2006). The Group represents its members’ interests with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES); it is also consulted over changes to higher education regulations.

  2. 2.

    By the early 1990s, 80% of universities had developed modular course structures, 85% already had or were planning to introduce a CAT (credit accumulation and transfer) scheme, more than 65% had semesterised and 70% were accrediting modules.

  3. 3.

    Polytechnics were granted university status in 1992 and are, thus, often referred to as ‘post-92 universities’.

  4. 4.

    For a full list of the 131 universities and colleges, see the Higher Education Funding Council for England website, http://www.hefce.ac.uk/unicoll/FE.

  5. 5.

    Cf. Section 2.3.

  6. 6.

    It should be pointed out that the organisational forms listed here represent an abstraction of the variety of organisational forms and communications structures found in British universities.

  7. 7.

    7Key to abbreviations: NI, Northern Ireland; SLC, Students Loan Company; LEA, Local Education Authority; SAAS, Students Awards Agency for Scotland; DEL, Department for Employment and Learning (Northern Ireland); M, million; UK, United Kingdom.

  8. 8.

    SQW is an independent economic research and consultancy body.

  9. 9.

    Twelve very large and 14 medium-sized HEIs were chosen for the on-line search. For pragmatic reasons, the definition of ‘academic continuing education’ was narrower than that used in the questionnaire survey and only the terms ‘continuing professional development (CPD)’, ‘continuing education’ and ‘lifelong learning’ were used as search terms. This means that only provision listed under these three terms has been analysed.

  10. 10.

    All interviews were carried out in 2006.

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Interviewees (Int.)

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  • Brennan: Forschungsinstitut Betriebliche Bildung (Research Institute for Vocational Education) interview with John Brennan, unpublished.

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  • Gallacher: Forschungsinstitut Betriebliche Bildung (Research Institute for Vocational Education) interview with Jim Gallacher, unpublished.

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  • Gourley: Forschungsinstitut Betriebliche Bildung (Research Institute for Vocational Education) interview with Brenda Gourley, unpublished.

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  • Osborne: Forschungsinstitut Betriebliche Bildung (Research Institute for Vocational Education) interview with Mike Osborne, unpublished.

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  • Storan: Forschungsinstitut Betriebliche Bildung (Research Institute for Vocational Education) interview with John Storan, unpublished.

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  • Taylor: Forschungsinstitut Betriebliche Bildung (Research Institute for Vocational Education) interview with Dick Taylor, unpublished.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forschungsinstitut betriebliche Bildung, Nuremberg, Germany

    Brigitte Geldermann

  2. Dresden Technical University, Dresden, Germany

    Susanne Schade

Authors
  1. Brigitte Geldermann
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  2. Susanne Schade
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Correspondence to Brigitte Geldermann .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Pädagogik, Universität Oldenburg, Uhlhornsweg 49-55, Oldenburg, 26111, Germany

    Michaela Knust

  2. Institut für Pädagogik, Universität Oldenburg, Uhlhornsweg 49-55, Oldenburg, 26111, Germany

    Anke Hanft

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Geldermann, B., Schade, S. (2009). Continuing Higher Education in the United Kingdom. In: Knust, M., Hanft, A. (eds) Continuing Higher Education and Lifelong Learning. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9676-1_7

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