An Evaluation of Recruit Training in England and Wales
| Author | Keith E. Hunter |
| Date | 01 October 1982 |
| Published date | 01 October 1982 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X8205500409 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
KEITH E. HUNTER
Chief
Superintendent,
Essex Constabulary.
AN
EVALUATIO.N OF RECRUIT
TRAINING
IN
ENGLAND
AND
WALES
During 1976, at the request of the ACPO Training Committee, a
small team of senior officers in the Essex Police under the direction
of the then Chief Constable, Sir
John
Nightingale, undertook an
attempt to evaluate the 10 weeks' Initial TrainingCourse for recruits
in provincial forces. Their findings were presented to the ACPO
Autumn Conference of that year at Preston.
The method of evaluation chosen was a detailed questionnaire
distributed to the 1,000 probationers in 13 forces throughout
England and Wales, with a minimum of 18 months' service. The
primary purpose of the survey wasto try to discover whether, and to
what extent, the objectives of the Initial Course were being met,
utilizing those objectives as the criteria. The responses were
transferred to punched cards and analysed with the assistance of
data
processing equipment.
The questionnaire was in two parts: Part I was answered by each
probationer, with a name slip;
Part
2 was completed by his or her
supervisory sergeant, who then discarded the name slip to preserve
anonymity. Contaminating factors such as variable standards of
ability and education were catered for, with questions on
qualifications, previous occupations, ages and Initial Course
examination positions, and this made possible a number of useful
correlations. The sergeants were asked to rate each probationer on
learning and practical abilities. Whilst there emerged a distinct bias
in favour of maturer recruits, irrespective of qualifications, it
appeared that the best policemen - allowing for a few exceptions -
were those aged between 22 and 30 years with good GCE 0and A
level qualifications. There was no significant correlation between
"outstanding" or "above average" practical policing ability and the
possession of one to four 0levels, but the picture changed markedly
for those with five or more 0levels, reflecting perhaps proven
determination and persistence as well as ability. At the other end of
the scale, in the "below average" and "unsatisfactory" learning and
practical ability ratings, the proportion of under 22 year-olds with
poor 0level and modest CSE qualifications was over-represented.
In 1982 there are now, of course, very few recruits of the ex
"secondary modern" variety who have not had some opportunity to
acquire formal educational qualifications. Whilst there are a number
of badly under-achieved victims of a far from
perf~ct
educational
360 October /982
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