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■ Jew attitudes and changes
Page 98
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n CiT examination structure
George Wilmot
HERTO, it was a matter criticism that the CharterInstitute for Transport ') insisted that every lidate for admission should its examinations and red to recognise any other nining body.
decade ago I well recall )uncil member telling me . pride about the quality he Institute's examination 7..nglish. "Many who pass 1rdinary level English, fail ur English and the stans are supposed to be the ?," he said, as if there a mysical exclusive ct called "transport Eng , tppily, these attitudes are es of the past. The golden ee in 1971 brought about ;nificant shift of emphasis. he first time a whole range ational awards, university fications and the examinaof other professional intes were recognised as :nig whole or part exempin the CIT intermediate Final examinations. Each since 1971, the CIT list .aminations recognised for .ption has grown apace.
meration
two contrasting areas the situation of co-operation and recognition of other ination bodies is brought in sharp relief. To enge those in road haulage road passenger to gain a footing on the Institute r, without having to go gh the trial of gaining 3CE Ordinary level subto start, the CIT introl a Licentiate grade. This based on the National .inations Board for Super r Studies (NEBSS) which s a Certificate award for the psv and road freight tries.
first the number of es available was tiny but :here is an impressive list 7 colleges (25 in road ge, seven in psv, and five is both) ranging from leen to Plymouth and end to Glasgow. Origithe NEBSS courses were ged only in the daytime vhile this is obviously de sirable, it is often out of the question for those in small road transport concerns. It is, thus, welcome news to hear that the NEBSS Certificates can also be taken in the evenings. The Licentiate can be an end in itself, but the route to the Final examinations and full Corporate Membership can be achieved quickly by taking a "bridging" examination on three subjects, half the number of the full Intermediate.
At the other end of the scale, all the university first degrees in transport have become recognised as fulfilling the educational requirements for corporate Membership. Actual election to Membership (MCIT) will, of course, depend also on age and managerial experience. The degrees which qualify are at Aston, Loughborough, Salford, Wales (Institite of Science and Technology, Cardiff) and the City of London Polytechnic. This step will undoubtedly be an encouraging fillip for these Bachelor degrees in transport.
Main tasks
As a long-term aspiration, the CIT hopes to reduce its examination commitments and to encourage many transport students to take alternative examination routes—a complete reversal of the situation 10 years ago. There is a great deal of good sense in this aim. Many professional institutes become so entangled in their own examination systems that they have neither the time nor the energy to fulfil their main aims.
Basically the CIT's main tasks are to maintain standards in the profession of transport management, enhance the status of members and be •in the forefront of transport debate, presenting an unbiased view. Too often in the past, the CIT has not been prominent in the last attribute and it is good to know that every effort is now being made to rectify this situation.
Naturally, the CIT cannot drop all its own examining. As far as I can see, it will always need to examine in the spe cialist options in the Finals. Much of the Intermediate examination, however, could well be examined by educational bodies since the subjects are general and not specifically geared to transport—ie, Statistics, Principles and Communication (written and verbal), Economics, Economic and Transport Geography, and the Law of Business and Carriage. Only the subject under the bald title "Transport," which deals with the basic functions and characteristics of each mode and serves as a vital introduction to subjects in the Finals, may have to be examined by the Institute.
Yet courses leading to the Intermediate examination are at present being offered at not less than 48 Colleges. But this impressive list is exaggerated. On the basis of the CM Survey of courses taking place in 1970 and my own knowledge of colleges, it is clear that the courses may be offered but some have insufficient numbers to form viable classes. In other cases, not all the six subjects are on offer and many classes are combined with those following other professional qualifications, so that the specific transport content is limited.
Rationalisation
With the coming of the larger administrative counties and, especially in the Metropolitan Counties, much more co-operation could take place between Colleges to ensure that many more transport courses are strong viable units. For example, rationalisation of courses could with advantage take place between Liverpool, Birkenhead, Chester and St Helens Colleges, between Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Wednesbury, between Newport and Cardiff or Swansea and Port Talbot. More travelling certainly, but well worthwhile for the sake of strong classes.
Five years have elapsed since the CIT introduced the new examination system and the CIT has decided to take a long, hard look at the scheme, with revisions and possible simplifications in mind. This is most encouraging since no examination system should remain too long without amendment — especially in a subject like transport.
Note: The Rapid Results College in London SW19 can be added to the three organisations offering correspondence courses for both the CIT Intermediate and Finals, The others are the Transport Tutor;q1 Association, International Correspondence Schools (Intermediate only) and Pitmans.