The dearing inquiry into United Kingdom higher education and the role of lifelong learning in the learning society

Abstract

As one of the consultants commissioned by the University of London Institute of Education to analyse the 805 responses, the author has been close to the report on these written for the United Kingdom National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (NCIHE or ‘Dearing Committee’). This article submits the responses to the July 1996 Request for Evidence to further evaluation, concentrating on those questions dealing with the aims, purposes and role of higher education in the next 20 years. Most of the issues concerning the future aims and role of higher education can be focused in the very strong plea that lifelong learning should be added explicitly to the purposes that higher education is expected to fulfil, and many put this in the context of promoting a ‘learning society’ so that everyone can use the information revolution. The article draws out from the responses what they mean by lifelong learning and a learning society, and contrasts these ideas with papers from the United Kingdom government and the EU Commission. Lifelong learning is not just a method but a culture and an overriding concept which subsumes others such as self-directed learning credit accumulation, access, continuing professional development, distance and open learning. The article discusses access to lifelong learning, and its benefits and implementation issues for the higher education system, institutions and other stakeholders. Finally the evidence on what respondents sought from Dearing is compared with what the NCIHE Report itself concludes, and the Report is found wanting. All in all, the report makes some useful noises, but the analysis and recommendations on aims and role and on lifelong learning and a learning society, are disappointing, tend to reinforce the full-time traditional starting point, and do not envisage the extent of cultural change which is needed. The Report's recommendations as a whole lack force and understanding of which ‘levers’ have to be moved.