|The teaching of public administration at sub degree level in colleges of further and higher education

Abstract

Most public administration courses in the colleges are externally validated and there has been no development of an educational philosophy or of new courses and curricula by college staff. The major courses are the Ordinary and Higher National Certificates in Public Administration. In over half of the colleges, teaching groups for these courses are small; at Ordinary level only one third of the students enrolling initially could expect to obtain a certificate after two years study. Student support for professional body courses was slight. Opportunities for development of specialised teaching interests was thus severely limited. Most full time teachers of public administration were graduates; half were qualified teachers. The total group showed no leaning towards research. Half of the group have been employed outside teaching but only a third claimed experience of local or central government employment. Few part time teachers employed. Local government uses the courses as further education and training schemes, but while a quarter of the students at Ordinary level are civil servants, the possibilities of neither this nor the Higher level course, are recognised by the Civil Service for external training purposes. The Higher level course is supported almost entirely by local government employees. The control and monitoring of the courses has been unsatisfactory and is unlikely to improve under the Business Education Council. The future for public administration places reliance upon developing BEC courses. This may result in a decline in the specialist nature of the subject, a diffusion of teaching responsibilities, and a down grading of courses to technician status. The LGTB needs to review the relationship between its own and BEC awards. The Civil Service should reconsider the use of public administration courses for further education and training.