Journal of Co-operative Studies, 51(2), 63-66

Abstract

Prior to the 'de-industrialisation' of the UK economy that began in the 1980s, teachers of Liberal and General Studies (L/GS) working with industrial-release students in technical colleges and polytechnics developed experimental approaches that encouraged students to discuss democratically, 'think outside the box' and work together to solve practical problems. An effect of de-industrialisation has been to replace such non-advanced technical education with other types of vocational courses in the successor institutions, and to replace L/GS with narrower forms of general education that have less in common with co-operative ideals. This has undermined the capacity of colleges to prepare students adequately for the contemporary labour market and work processes. A co-operative university focused on conscientised capacity-building along the lines of that currently provided by the Co-operative College, and combining with this some aspects of the 'utopia university' model put forward by Mike Neary and Joss Winn, could build links with staff in further education colleges and universities who are committed to developing valid approaches and thereby help to improve significantly the quality of provision across these sectors.

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