View from ABDO: Has education come full circle?

With thoughts firmly focused on the GOC call for evidence for its Strategic Review of Education and the Community Eyecare Services Review in Scotland it is hard not to reflect on educational provision for those engaged in all things ‘optics’.

When I qualified as a dispensing optician some 30+ years ago, it was an easy progression for me from 6th year at school straight to college to study full time for my diploma in ophthalmic dispensing followed by my pre-registration year and subsequent admission to the register. Today the choice is a lot more varied – yes, one can opt to study full time, but other modalities of study are also available: day release, blended learning and hopefully soon, in line with current government thinking, higher qualification apprenticeships.