Strategies for managing resources in a declining resource situation

Medium- and long-term strategies for deploying resources in Higher Education are discussed in the context of avoiding any reduction in the quality and quantity of educational provision, and, at the same time, meeting appropriate financial criteria. The paper emphasises the need to maximise the use of existing staff through redeployment, retraining and staff development. New appointments should be strictly controlled through part-time and fixed-term contracts. Staffing levels may be reduced through early retirement and redundancy, although in some situations, the sharing, movement or exchange of staff between institutions may be an alternative possibility. Non-staff costs are analysed in relation to teaching, administration, accommodation and ancillary activities. The principal of good house-keeping is advocated in relation to these costs, with a clear recognition of those costs which relate to academic standards and legal obligations.     

What we talk about when we talk about education: the private and public educational talk of teachers in schools

One of the central challenges for a school is the creation of a public discourse which expresses the shared purpose of the school community, without losing the multiple and different voices within the teaching staff. In this article we report on the generative potential of educational conversation, when it is structured around questions which allow teachers to reflect on their best teaching selves in past practice and to project those selves into future situations. We suggest that within the staff, the public relating of teaching narratives, and the reflective conversation to which they give rise, constitutes a public and collective form of enquiry into teaching and learning. We argue that reflective conversation is dependent upon critical listening, where the listener is open to what is being said, but is also prepared to ask questions that open up the topic of teaching and learning in ways that are revelatory for both speaker and listener.