The RIBA has responded to the Architects’ Registration Board’s (ARB) survey on modernising architectural education and training.
To summarise the full response, which can be downloaded below, RIBA President Simon Allford said:
“The RIBA has a long-standing commitment to the continuous improvement of competence in the profession, through education, practical training and professional development, and we have championed the transformation and modernisation of architectural education through our work over the past decade.
Our priorities include accessible and inclusive study routes - to enable a more diverse and representative profession - with a focus on competence and sustainability, as outlined in our education and professional development framework, The Way Ahead. This aligns with the ARB’s consideration of more flexible study routes and access to the profession based on outcomes and capabilities, rather than inputs, and we support the ARB’s focus on additional competence in sustainability and fire and life safety for students.
We are concerned however that the ARB has not yet shown a clear vision and strategy to meet these ambitions and, despite aims to increase flexibility, this may lead to a highly prescriptive, inflexible and expensive system, parallel to the RIBA’s internationally recognised validation programme.
Our two organisations must work closely together to avoid duplication and any unnecessary bureaucratic and financial burden upon architects, architecture schools and architecture students. We are seeking discussions with the ARB on their proposed education and training reforms – with input from RIBA Members and stakeholders – to create a more flexible qualifications system that responds to the societal, environmental and economic challenges our profession faces.”
