The Location of Higher Education |
| |
| Authors: | Malcolm Tight |
| |
| Institution: | Birkbeck College, University of London |
| |
| Abstract: | Location is an important dimension of higher education, even in a small country like England. While part-time courses clearly need to be accessible to their potential students if they are to serve a useful purpose, this is also true, though to a lesser extent, of full-time provision (and many institutions offer both). Widely varying locational strategies have been adopted by institutions of higher education in the past, and the distribution of higher education opportunities remains highly skewed, with university and public sector provision concentrated in particular areas of the country. Greater attention needs to be given to locational considerations in the future planning of higher education if reasonably equal access is to be ensured. Five policy implications of such a strategy are identified - provision should be increased in areas currently under-provided for; institutions should adjust their provision so as to serve a greater regional and local role; part-time provision, particularly at first degree level, should be expanded; mixed forms of distance and face-to-face higher education should be developed; less emphasis should be placed on the residential element in higher education . |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
