The Nature of Needs Assessment in Post 16 Education

16–19 education is now a major policy issue. Because of its voluntary and specialised character and its importance in determining life chances, educational provision must be informed by some conception of the needs to be satisfied. Research undertaken into ways in which LEAs assess the needs of 16–19 year olds suggests that needs are assessed by a variety of mechanisms which reflect administrative processes and relationships and make an incremental contribution to planning. Needs assessment thereby reflects the nature of educational government, as well as the difficulties in operationalising the concept of need. This approach results in deficiencies and inequalities. The paper concludes by suggesting ways in which needs assessment might be improved within the limitations of the existing ideology

Government (linguistics · Ideology · Inequality · Needs assessment · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Social science · Sociology · Variety (cybernetics · Computer Science · Early Childhood Education and Development · Educational and Psychological Assessments · Educational Assessment and Improvement