28 September 2011
Response from the Church of England Board of Education to
the June 2011 Higher Education White Paper - Students at the Heart
of the System
The Government should avoid concentrating on economic
development and take "a rich view" of the full contribution higher
education can make as it shapes new legislation says the Church of
England Board of Education in response to the HE White Paper.
Failure to do so, the response adds, risks creating a system ill
equipped to facilitate the education needed in an increasingly
complex and diverse society.
In the response to the HE White Paper consultation which closed
this month, the Bishop of Oxford the Rt Revd John Pritchard chair
of the Board of Education said: "The Church has consistently argued
for a rich view of higher education as being for the holistic
development of individuals and communities. As Archbishop Rowan
Williams commented in a speech in the House of Lords on
11th August 2011, 'a good educational system in a
healthy society is one that builds character, that builds
virtue'."
He added: "Against such a background, the present White Paper is
very thin indeed in its understanding of higher education. It is
almost totally focussed on the economic contribution.
"This is particularly surprising given the government's concern
to create a 'Big Society', develop a localism agenda, develop
communities and address issues of morality and values. Universities
have traditionally contributed to such agendas and can still do so,
by facilitating critical reflection on society and seeking to form
in students an ethic of service, that they may be better local and
global citizens."
Read the
full response