ABSTRACT
In the Manifesto of the Education for Capability movement the following paragraph appears: The great majority of learners — whether pupils at school, students at universities, polytechnics or colleges, or adults still wanting to learn — are destined for a productive life of practical action. It is clear to us that the placement is a most valuable way to make the Education for Capability ideals come true. One major purpose of the placement on a course, then, is to give the opportunity for maturation. A second purpose of the placement is that it provides a situation in which theory can be genuinely applied. One way in which the placement can facilitate the development of critical but pragmatic thinking occurs when a student does manage to fulfil the joint roles of worker and learner. A final objective of placements, equally desirable to both industry and the academy, is the inculcation of systems thinking.
