Submission surrender

THE government's commitment to inclusive politics may have backfired by over choking the further and higher education sectors on inquiries and consultations. Evidence that the sectors may be succumbing to the effects of Repetitive Submission Syndrome emerged from the education and employment select committee this week. The committee had called for evidence for a new inquiry.

But several weeks later, Access for All? A Survey of Post-16 Participation in Education and Training has attracted only about a dozen submissions. A certain weariness is understandable since the committee is inquiring into (or has already looked into) further education, Dearing and the funding of student loans. Both sectors also contributed to the Dearing and Kennedy reports and then to the government consultations on these reports. Yet more consultation on the Learning Age green paper does not end until July. The committee may hold a seminar on post-16 participation in lieu of the flopped inquiry.