the common roont
Page 66
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
by George Wilmot
Senior Lecturer in Transport Studies, University of London.
Association for transport teachers?
THE NEWS that good progress is being made towards the formation of an Association of Transport Teachers appears to be of domestic import and not really the concern of this Column. Yet this is not just "another transport organization" of limited application being established but an association which could have a most direct bearing on future developments in all forms of transport education.
The Association in which Mr John Hibbs of the City of London College is playing a leading role is in process of evolution. It is intended to embrace transport teachers both in the university and college sectors, part-time as well as full-time teachers. The categories envisaged at the moment are: (i) teachers in all colleges offering degree courses in transport subjects for the Council for National Academic Awards; (ii) those concerned with courses leading to the Institute of Transport examinations; liii) institutions like the British Transport Staff College; and (iv) those involved in university degrees in transport and in the part-time diploma and certificates in transport studies of London and Leeds.
I believe that the primary function of an Association of this type should be directed towards the improvement of teaching standards in transport rather than becoming a body presenting learned papers on various aspects of transport. The crying need is to help lecturers and teachers in grappling with problems of method in the lecture room.
The Association could do a power of good to part-time lecturers, who are easily in the majority, in arranging training courses which would not only inform about current transport developments but also give a thorough grounding in ways of presenting transport material effectively. Many part-time lecturers, and isolated full-time lecturers, have often expressed to me the loneliness of their teaching work with no colleagues at hand to discuss practical difficulties. Indeed, many part-time lecturers depart from the scene for this very reason after struggling for one or perhaps two sessions. The Association could prove to be a prop for these teachers in putting them in touch with those in a similar situation and by providing meetings at which common problems could be thrashed out at length.
The net for the Association ought to be cast rather wider than the categories listed above.
would like to see a far-reaching Association of Transport Teachers, including teachers specifically concerned with courses for the Institute of Traffic Administration and the Industrial Transport Association examinations. It would also be helpful if teachers engaged in following courses for the Diploma in Road Transport subjects could be brought under the Association's umbrella. Although this Diploma is at a lower standard, it serves as a most useful introductory course to the professional institutes and many of the teaching problems are similar.
Why have those teachers concerned with road transport engineering been omitted? At a time when the "traffic" and "engineering" sides of road transport are being brought together, it would be sensible for those concerned with vehicle engineering techniques to be included, Indeed, university lecturers in transport engineering are within the initial terms of reference for the Association and it is illogical not to extend membership to the college level for engineering subjects.
If all these categories could be embraced, a great deal more understanding would grow about the various institutes and steps could be firmly made towards greater co-ordination between the many providers of transport education.