Hello (right!!) Mark
Yet another gritty topic. Not long after I left the UK the newly elected
Labour Party looked set to sort out some of the inequities in the education
system and to streamline the sector. Sadly, Labour has sold this
generation, and future ones, down the river with the introduction of fees to
attend Uni. This happens here in Australia and has been part and parcel of
the education system in many European Countries and the US for a long time.
Ultimately, only those who can afford, or are prepared to 'afford' a Uni
education will get one. This will maintain and widen the gaps between those
who can and those who can not become members of a professional group
requiring lengthy and expensive education. And it's so much worse for the
British parents of new entrants into Uni than it is for those who have been
aware of the system and perhaps 'saved' so their children could go into
tertiary education. Not so for the Brits; they have now been landed with a
system,which is in essence another tax. For some this won't be an issue:
students can take out loans to pay, others will chose not to go to Uni, some
parents/grandparents will contribute. But at the end of the day, it's
another expense which will have to be passed on. For example: a new
graduate from law school carries a debt at the end of her tertiary studies
of 25k. The repayments are such that the cost of her services as a Lawyer
must be increased to cover the debt as well as allow her to have the
standard of living normally associated with someone in her position.
Multiply this a few million times and the whole picture is one of another
debt to everyone, irrespective of whether they go to Uni themselves. So the
argument that only those who have the education should pay don't really make
much sense....EVERYONE pays. It was a sad day when this form of segregated
provision of education came to pass. I know the 'grant' was means tested
but it was a lot fairer than this current system.
Australian students call their Education debt their first mortgage as it's a
millstone round their necks. Parents here, who have been able to, make
large contributions to their children's education reducing the burden on the
younger generation but again the effects can be seen in such areas as
falling birth rates...parents choose to have fewer children because they
believe they can not afford school and Uni fees for a larger family. Not
that this would be a big issue in the UK but in a vast land mass with only
19 million folk it has serious long-term social and economic implications.
Am I right in my belief that Health Students do not pay fees?
However they will have to pay indirectly the fees of other students whose
skills and expertise they will need to access over a lifetime and you are
right Mark that NHS salaries will not seem so attractive when they have to
start saving to send their kids to Uni and buy a house etc.
The idea of Centres of Excellence, I think is sound but logistically quite
difficult. The administration costs are heavy for independent departments
and savings could be made in centralising this activity. Regional Health
Authorities would not necessarily lose out if a Placement Scheme for
students was coordinated so that all areas could be covered. Staff within
current health depts throughout the country could become more involved in
the supervision and assessment of students and at the same time provide
essential services (like toenail cutting!!) for those in need. (I've been
away for a while so this scheme may already be in place).
Within the programme there could be multiple entry and exit points depending
upon the requirements of an individual student. There could even be a new
type of graduate who was disorder specific eg: Diabetes Specialist who
deals will all aspects of diabetes care without the need for the patient to
process through a whole series of professionals. I know this is attractive
in a Country as large as Australia where it is difficult to attract
practitioners (of any ilk) to rural towns. Just wondering if it would work
in the UK?
Look forward to seeing some debate.
Ann Marie Carr
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Russell [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, 10 March 2004 4:09 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Podiatry Education
In the middle of all this excitement in the current debate, I wonder if I
may throw another bone in for discussion? Can I poll opinion over podiatry
education in the UK.
"What do contributors think of the present set-up and how would they
propose changes for the better?"
I am increasingly concerned regarding the plight of new entrants into the
professional community as well as those still working their way through the
undergraduate program at our schools and colleges. For one thing, we are
beginning to see the real impact that student debt exercises on the younger
generation. I read tonight that there has been a marked rise in
bankruptcies for the under 25's during the last four years. I daresay that
trend will continue. We are fast approaching the time when the debt levels
on graduation could be as much as £20-£30K - which makes the paltry £500
overdraft I had seem quite insignificant (and it still took me 10 years to
repay it!).
Opportunities in the clinical sphere are not quite what they used to be.
Even if a new graduate gains employment with the NHS - the traditional
playground where we hone our skills - long-term career prospects are poor,
the salaries unattractive, especially with the cost of housing and tax &
etc. Is state run podiatry really that attractive to the six-form student
anymore?
In private practice it's difficult as well. Sure there are more
opportunities, but that route is not so certain and good regular income can
take years to build up. That's not considering the impact the HPC
legislation had to the existing viability of the marketplace (or on the
morale of the podiatry students for that matter).
Podiatry education appears to be suffering too. The funding crisis at FE
Colleges is just as bad as the one in the NHS. Podiatry comes far down the
line just as it does in health. Then there are the independent schools,
who, unless we bring them into the mainstream community, will seek to
undermine the ethos of closure and protection of title by training Foot
Health Consultants instead. What impact then on the recruitment drive in
future years?
Clearly there is a need for an educational programme which targets
different grades of clinician. Instead of the one size fits all approach,
why not a Diploma in Podology (for assistants, technicians, orthotists &
etc - a generic course run by podiatry schools and offered to other
disciplines as well) and a four year degree course for specialist
diagnostic clinicians perhaps with assisted entry from the Diploma.
Can I also ask opinion regarding structure of the educational community
itself? We have some 13 or 14 schools teaching the BSc programme at present
in polytechnics and 2nd grade universities (no offence meant). I addition,
there are three or four schools in the independent sector which are
unregulated and free from inspection. Clearly this is unsatisfactory. Can
such fragmentation really be practicable in a modern age? Wouldn't four or
five podiatry colleges be better, with higher yearly intakes - working
alongside 'centres of excellence' in podiatric care? Colleges that provide
a raft of programmes both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
I raise this subject because of a recent conversation with a government
minister, who floated the idea of regional centres of excellence in gait
and its associated disorders. This was a subject that was discussed two
years ago on another forum, and an outline proposal was raised with a DoH
official at the time. If the government are in the market for some 'social
trophies' - the way Labour administrations sometimes are - then could a
case be submitted that might bring together the research and development
fields and the whole educational apparatus into some form of complementary
partnership? With that kind of set-up, the colleges could be more
attractive to corporate support through the various trade bodies
something more and more premier division universities are taking advantage
off. Just some thoughts but I'd be interested in some other views.
Sincerely
Mark Russell
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