THE COMMON ROOM
Page 72
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By George Wilmot
Lecturer in Transport Studies, University of London
The Difficulties of Parttime Study
THE part-time nature of so much of transport education is the biggest single obstacle in the way of reducing the number of failures in examinations. Surprisingly there has been little rationalization of the difficulties of students working in the evenings and in their spare time, and these particular problems tend to be brushed aside in rather casual fashion.
Frankly I have always had the greatest admiration for the part-time transport student. It is a way of study life which is the survival of the fittest with a vengeance. Most of the classes take place in the evenings following a day's work, so that the student is not exactly at his freshest to imbibe knowledge or wrestle with new ideas and concepts. This throws a heavy responsibility on teachers, the majority of whom are also part-timers for this work and also tired after the work of their normal day. Thus neither students nor teachers are at their best even before the class has started.
The courses are usually held from October to March, through the worst months of the year. A high proportion of students are forced to take a long journey after a quick, scratch meal to the class and an even longer journey to return home. The following morning work starts at the same time, and out of precious hours of leisure, time has to be found for reading and, preferably, some practice in c4/
writing. Books have to be chased, or consulted in public libraries, although conditions vary as some colleges have good transport library facilities for students. Not,surprisingly there is often family resistance to a 'programme of one or two evenings a week away from home and a high proportion of week end and other oil tune being devoted to reading, writing or taking part in Oractical
Shift workers are even harder hit as they will frequently have to miss a class. Sometimes alternative times can be arranged for g repeat class, but more often the administrative complications involved makes this provision impossible.
If the position is bad for the part-time -student, it is infinitely worse for the student taking the examination course by correspondence or by purely private study. The evening student has the advantage of contact with others, as exchange of views and a discussion of difficulties with fellow-students is a very valuable part of any class activity.
In spite of all these handicaps, the majority of parttime students perform most creditably in examinations. Indeed it is surprising that the failure rate is not higher. But how much more successful they would be if their study timetable could include day release courses and some work time for further study.