To get education right takes ground work

I read with interest Wendy Powell’s letter on design education and with familiar scepticism Sir Michael Marshall’s letter on Government support of design (DW 15 November).

Of course, Powell is right to raise concern over the growing number of untalented graduates whose path to the dole office was predictable before they even started their courses. But her inference that this problem is a few years old is deceptive. I recall the significant rise in numbers starting as long ago as 1990, and let us not forget why. The Government’s education policy of allocating funds to colleges per head led to all colleges having to increase numbers to bridge the funding fall in real terms. This is a reflection not of a government committed to the “belief that design is fundamental to the UK”, as Sir Michael states, but another short-term policy from a government that has cut back almost all areas of education.

It is easy to blame the downward spiral in the calibre of our graduates on the curriculum, but what is needed is the injection of capital into our colleges so they are less dependent on bums on seats for funding and more able to reject applicants who will never give anything to the design industry.

Verbal support for design from any politician is pre-election banter. As voters we must be telling politicians that simply supporting an exhibition, organising a reception or tabling a parliamentary motion is not enough. Give the colleges the resources and they will do the rest with the support of us in the industry

The business world perceives the design industry as being poor at self-regulation and self-determination and is therefore not surprised that we allow so many inappropriately qualified students to graduate. We must stop talking and start doing, encourage politicians to give more money to education and urge our colleges to reject those they know will never make the grade.

However, we must also encourage our colleges to educate with more diversity. Being a good designer is not just about independent conceptual creation.

To succeed commercially, designers must be aware of sales, marketing, production, accountancy, business management and more. A more uniform system of assessment may also help. All accountants must pass two sets of exams before they can practice, and while the creative aspects of our profession are less easy to assess, the business aspects are more tangible.

We all know how true and important Wendy Powell’s comments on “multi-disciplinary, multi-talented teams” are. Level playing fields don’t have to be fantasies, but they do require more than a bit of weekend gardening.

Jon Gold

Texapin

Enfield EN3 7PY