Part 8: Moray House and the
CNAA in the 1980s.
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Towards the end of the 1970s there was a debate in
the college about the validation of its courses. In1979 a seminar was
held: ‘A Degree of Change’ at which Professor Ruthven argued
for a ‘mixed economy’ model with some courses validated
by Edinburgh University and others by the Council for National Academic
Awards (CNAA). Sister Margaret,
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Principal of Notre Dame College of Education, had also been invited to
speak about her institution’s experiences with the CNAA. She argued
that there were positive benefits to be had from the partnership model of
validation being developed by the CNAA.
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When he arrived as Principal in 1981 Gordon
Kirk brought
with him extensive experience of working with the CNAA. Following consultations,
the college embarked on a major programme of course validations through
the CNAA with the first two courses, both in-service, validated in1982:
the DPSE in Educational Computing and the DPSE in Learning Difficulties
Secondary. Previously the CNAA had validated Dunfermline College of
Physical Education’s four year BEd in Physical Education in 1973.
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The CNAA’s course approval process was accompanied by its institutional
review arrangements. These involved an examination by a group of independent
peers of an institution’s whole way of working. The first such review
of Moray House was held in 1982, followed by others in 1985 and 1991. For
nearly ten years all of Moray House’s undergraduate and postgraduate
courses were successfully validated
by CNAA.
A long-term aim of the teaching profession in Scotland, supported by the
General Teaching Council of Scotland, had been for an all-graduate profession.
The case was eventually accepted by the government when the Secretary of
State for Scotland announced that the last intake into the 3-year Diploma
course would be in October 1983, this course being replaced by a new 4-year
BEd degree for primary teachers. Moray House’s response was to plan
for a BEd Primary course that was both academically rigorous as well as ensuring
a high level of professional performance. The course was validated by the
CNAA, with the first students admitted in October 1984. The development of
the BEd degree for Technical Education in 1986 meant that from then on all
the students successfully completing the College’s initial teacher
training courses, including the existing PGCE Primary and Secondary courses,
would be graduates.
By 1989, with the work of CNAA under review, Moray House had to once again
address the question of which institution should replace CNAA as its validating
body.
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on to Part 9
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or read more about Gordon Kirk
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