ABSTRACT
The stories we have told in earlier chapters have been multi-layered, intricate and conflictual. Within the welter of detail we can now discern two main narratives about the sector. The first is the picture painted by politicians of rising investment, increasing participation and substantial achievements. The second comes from a growing number of the managers, practitioners and policy-makers we interviewed, who spoke of deepening feelings of frustration, of constant struggles to keep services going and of increasing concerns for the future of the sector. The gap between these two sets of perceptions has steadily widened over the last three years and has recently been intensified by the latest structural reform of departmental responsibilities and by government plans for a radical move to a demand-led system. The first story uses statistical data to support its argument that outcomes are improving significantly; the second claims that the processes, mechanisms and ‘levers’ that are being used to achieve these goals are exacting too heavy a price for success. At stake between these two competing views lie the future prospects of no fewer than six million learners.
