The idea

What would a year's furlough from academic study (assuming that is what students actually do) achieve? Firstly, it would mean that students would have to find something to do. While most students do come from wealthy or middle class backgrounds, there are few whose parents could afford to have them living at home without earning for a year. Consequently most would probably get jobs of one sort or another. But prescribing too clearly what should or should not be done is to establish another set of page 5 approved experiences to replace the old ones. Assuming that a job is being sought, it is unlikely (given the fact that the person is only going to have it for a year) to be an enormously exciting one. Some may argue that in fact students get a good idea what the working environment is like by working during the holidays. There are two replies to this, the idea is to gain an appreciation of what the situation really is, and a year is a completely different time scale for this to occur in. Beyond the effects on the people concerned, there are also many salutary effects expected in the educational system.

Clearly, if the students have a greater knowledge and appreciation of workers conditions it is more difficult to persuade them that the workers' experience is completely invalid. Also, there will have to be a restructuring of the secondary school. They will have to accept the fact that there is no natural progression from school to university. They will also have to accept that a person can be judged on criteria other than an artificial three hours exam after weeks of unusual stress. Incidentally, the University Grants Committee recognises in its report this year that some change in this way is necessary at the moment, with a declining proportion of seventh formers going directly to university, but this suggestion is more wide-ranging than theirs. I am not for one moment suggesting that this will stamp out elitist or class-based attitudes — these go far deeper than the education system — but it is a step along the way.