Cubie Committee Set up on 2 July 1999 by Andrew Cubie - Essay Example

Composed of eight pages, the report starts with some background on the work of the Committee as one of inquiry that had conducted two consultations and had commissioned research to be able to carry out its report. The analyses of the responses and the reports of the research were to follow that month.
The report broke its parts into the committee’s recommendations, the remit, the committee’s approach, the elements of the approach, and the initial responses to the committee. Before these, however, was some background information on the Scottish Parliament Debate and Proposals for England and Wales. In the first, there was to be a debate if agreed -

‘That the Parliament endorses the Scottish Executive’s framework, Working
Together for Wider Access to Further and Higher Education, its proposals for the
abolition of tuition fees for Scottish-domiciled students studying in Scotland and its fair, focused, and affordable proposals for widening access, promoting lifelong
learning, alleviating hardship, and providing support during the study.’

In the second, David Blunkett proposed for a major new package of extra measures to widen access to higher education and tackle student hardship in England and Wales. Blunkett was the Secretary of State for Education and Employment then. The elements of support referred to non-repayable support, tuition fees, student loan entitlement, and costs which were discussed as subtopics.

Purpose. Written at the bottom-most part of the research note is the purpose of this document that Research Notes are compiled for the benefit of Members of Parliament and their staff. The document then serves as a digest for Members of Parliament and their staff to orient them on specific topics covered at specific times to help them be abreast of issues.

Readership. The target readership of this document is the Members of Parliament and their staff. However, the secondary target could be the public, especially students and student leaders who are the most affected. As reflected in the responses to Cubie, there were many groups interested in the issue including the Scottish Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party, The Scottish Conservatives, The Scottish Green Party, The National Union of Students Scotland, COSHEP, The AUT in Scotland, and The CBI Scotland.

Evaluation of content. The issue being discussed was capsulized and placed in a box. It was about student support that should maximize opportunities for all to be able to access high-quality lifelong learning. Such support, the box shows, “should promote social inclusion, the knowledge economy, and an enhanced civil society.” Then the system which can enable this is described and finally tells of the government's role “to remove barriers to widening access and participation.” The content, as discussed, is complex, because aside from the issue of student tuition, the work of Cubie as a committee is also hashed out, including Parliament motions and actions, and the reactions of political parties and student leadership.

Format. The format presentation of the website caters to more conscious readers like government officials and professionals. This judgment is based on the visual and contextual representation of the website. The conscripted color template of the presentation suggests formality and gravity, thus it could be appreciated by sophisticated readers. The single dominant color of violet in the header signifies authority and discipline.

The document cannot be fully accommodating in its main subject of concern (the students) due to its jargonized context that is mainly designed for higher communicators. The strong point here is that they are objective and apparent in their aim.

Layout. The systematic concern of the layout, however, is weak. The report is a virtual sea of gray matter. The continuous paragraphs could appear bland to the readers, while they could be more reaching. The information in the box, highlighting the major information on the issue of student tuition is a strong point. They present supporting statements with bullets, making the visual presentation practical. The bullets and box accentuated vital information, provided accessibility, and promoted faster reading.

Steps carried out in this task. I noted first the type of document and looked for its purpose and intended use of it so that I could understand what it was all about and analyze it properly. At the top portion is the title, “The Cubie Report.” Below it is the name of the information center. I gather then that this document is for the information of a special public. At the top left portion, it was written there “Research Note.” From there, I had expected some academic language, statistics, and much data. Turning over the page, I looked at the only boxed portion on Page 5. I could understand then that this was the issue being talked about – student tuition. From there, I went on to read the fine print. Read More