Havant College : the pursuit of excellence

Abstract

The British Education System, following the New Education Act 1992, started to undergo a total metamorphosis. Schools had it made, now they have to make it under their own steam. Gone are the days when financing by the state ensured their existence. Havant College gets its same basic rudimentary budget from the Council. The rest is up to the management. The money given to the schools is relative to their students' population. If the school does not recruit new students than it will not get the funding needed. A growth of twenty-four (24) per cent must be registered by 1995. Havant College management and staff are fully aware of this situation. The management attitude is totally committed totally to the modern aspects of marketing. The teachers are set on delivering "quality service". All are determined to make the students happy and satisfied with all that the students need. The college has the services that one always dreams to have at one's school. Being a career-orientated college the students are guided towards all the possible career openings that exist in Britain. The mentality of getting the students to Havant and making sure their stay there gives me the feeling that in the long run there may be the pitfall of too much spoon feeding. One has to watch closely if this counter-effects the excellent work being done. Youths have never had it so easy. Seeing it within the context of the prevailing economic system in the U. K. and Europe, this scares me. Maybe a line must be drawn where the teaching of "sense of values" will have to be considered as an "academic" subject too. I trust Havant's Directorate will be the first to react to the situation.