How rare and refreshing. Common sense seeking to prevail.

Shame he is retiring because it will mean that the rest of the bottle less idiots that inhabit the top floors of the countries Police HQ's will now roll over and allow this insanity to screw up policing for decades to come.

Mr Cunningham the Headmaster thinks it is a good idea that all officers should have a degree, but then he would, he doesn't want his Empire to collapse.

Cunningham and CoP have already decided it will happen so they wont let a little thing called evidence get in the way of a decision to push this forward. This is about commercial interests and mutual money making for higher education providers. Mr Skelly is right and appears to be the only one who has seen the Emperor has no clothes!

I'm now retired and studying to be a Solicitor. I had a degree before I joined the job and compelted a Masters whilst I was in the job. I am fundamentally opposed to degree entry. It acts as a barrier to police diversity in terms of age, career changers, single parents etc. I think PFEW should challenge this or fund an ET case for someone refused entry as their concerns were ignored. Paul Stephenson was Commisonner of the Met, he didnt have a degree. It is akin to insisting that all cops should be cadets first or specials. Not all cops were recruited from the cadet scheme or are ex specials.

There was never a need or justification for police officers to have a degree to be able to enter the police. Whilst we all support education, the relevance of some degrees to be of benefit to assist with ability to be a cop is questionable. People who have life skills and with dealing with people, ie. tradesman can do the job as well as anybody. Should we deny those people a chance?

CC Skelly is absolutely correct on this topic. The degree is entirely unnecessary and we are currently preventing candidates with years of relevant experience from joining because they either do not have a degree or do not have the required UCAS points to enrol on the degree apprenticeship ship. Add the unnecessary Ditect Entry programmes and Police Now entry and we have a discombobulated array of routes into the organisation that either delay or prevent good officers joining the ranks or allows others to circumvent the core role of a patrol officer and miss out on learning the most important aspects of the office of constable. These routes are nothing other than a cottage industry and the only people who benefit are those whose sold existence is to meddle in the organisation who have no direct experience or a historic memory of being a cop and those educational establishments making a killing. The uniform isnt simply worn but it is earned on the front line as a patrol officer working nights, weekends, bank holidays whilst also contributing to the PSU cadre and beyond, not dodging these core experiences to 'problem solve' 'investigate' or lead without a real understanding of what you are asking those you sit below you to do.

The only degree needed is a degree in common sense. Sadly the PC snowflakes are turning into a blizzard.