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The International Correspondence Schools

15th December 1967
Page 68
Page 68, 15th December 1967 — The International Correspondence Schools
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

ALTHOUGH transport now forms but a small part of the work of the International Correspondence Schools (ICS), it has been showing some growth in the past two years. An international organization with principal centres stretching from the Argentine to Australia, the ICS has its British headquarters at Intertext House, London, SW11. It makes a number of its own awards in a variety of fields and is strongly concerned with an enormous range of examinations connected with professional associations.

Until recently, the only transport examination concerning the ICS was the Industrial Transport Association, an examination taken almost exclusively by road haulage candidates, especially C licensees. Unfortunately, the impact of the Industrial Transport Association examination is not large in terms of numbers overall and those taking the course by correspondence has been minute.

Last year, arrangements were made to cover the Institute of Transport syllabus and most options are now available in the graduateship examinations and a few have recently been started for the associate membership. This is nothing like the complete coverage operated by the Tutorial Association, but it is of special interest to note that the main energy has been put into road transport options.

Here a useful service is provided since it is so difficult to find a local class concerned with the Institute courses on road operation— especially goods operation. To complete the road emphasis, it was heartening to hear that arrangements are currently being discussed to embrace the Royal Society of Arts examination for the Diploma in Road Transport Subjects. Indeed, there are hopes that a start may be made in 1968.

The RSA course certainly needs help since the distribution of "live" classes is patchy (even in the London area) and a further correspondence course could give this preliminary award a most useful boost.

Currently many of the students enrolling for these road transport courses come from overseas, which is not altogether surprising considering the nature of the ICS. There has been, however, some increase in the number of United Kingdom students which I confidently expect to be augmented once the RSA scheme is launched.

ICS courses take the form of course notes for each individual subject, written by the roadside, by men versed in both the theoretical and practical side of road transport. Exercises are set regularly throughout each subject study and the marking is performed conscientiously. Comments like, "Fair 7/10", or "Could do better with more application" (without saying what should be applied) are happily not found—markers of papers give a proper appraisal of each essay. Where they find a piece of written work has gone off the rails, they will tell the student how the essay ought to have been constructed and indicate a number of factors to give a more balanced approach.

General advice is also given, especially on what to read. Attempts are made to tie-in the written work with suitable reading by referring to particular sections of books in the correction of an essay. Model answers to particular questions do not find favour with the ICS. This is as well since there are obvious difficulties in giving the impression that transport problems can be treated like mathematics with a final "answer".

The work of the ICS in the transport field has a long way to go. The organization is well geared to deal with these examination requirements—given the support. With the emphasis on road transport, this may well be forthcoming especially in view of the importance given to correspondence courses by the RTITB and the future ideas for the transport manager's licence, a part of the Minister's quality control proposals for road goods vehicles in the forthcoming Transport Bill.


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