| Abstract: | Housing management originally developed as part of a philanthropic attempt to improve working class housing conditions in the nineteenth century. At first the practitioners were mainly women and there was an emphasis on individual relationships with tenants. Housing management was slow to develop a professional culture within local government and the educational system was equally slow to change to accommodate developments in teaching and learning theory. After the boost to housing management generated by a number of government initiatives in the early 1970s, the syllabus of housing changed to include a wider range of material, but the examination system was not changed and this limited scope for pedagogic innovation. A more dramatic restructuring in the 1990s led to all professional housing education taking place within the universities with courses and standards accredited but not controlled by the Chartered Institute of Housing. It is hoped that this will lead to more flexible and innovative education which in turn will prepare aspiring professionals for careers in a rapidly changing environment. |
