My father, Derek Mortimer, who has died aged 80, was a committed educationist instrumental in the development of teacher education and the opening up of higher education opportunities in the new polytechnics from the late 1960s onwards.
Born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, son of Alfred, a grocery manager for the Co-op, and Gladys, a housewife, Derek grew up in Melksham and attended Chippenham grammar school, where he ran and played competitive rugby and chess. He studied geography at University College London, where he met Margaret Stenning on a field trip to the North Downs. They married in 1959.
At college, Derek’s interest in geography was eclipsed by activity in student politics, and he became secretary of the student union, a sabbatical role that was later filled by my brother, Simon, who also studied at UCL. On graduation Derek worked as a teacher in a large comprehensive school in Birmingham. This was one of the first of its kind and was an ideal stepping stone into a career that was dedicated to equal access to education and opportunity.
Derek soon moved into teacher training and the new polytechnic system, where he played a key part in the establishment of the specialist BEd qualification and worked tirelessly around the country advising on teacher training initiatives and curriculum development. He was appointed OBE for services to education in 1989, recognising in part committee work for central government on teacher accreditation.
In the late 1980s, Derek moved to Ipswich as principal of Suffolk College. The remit was to develop further and higher education opportunities in the town and was an ideal opportunity for him, with his belief that all young people should have a fair opportunity to develop their skills. A modest man, and one who would want his legacy to be seen in the achievements and successes of his students, Derek left a lasting mark on the Suffolk community and his work contributed directly to the formation of University Campus Suffolk. The college’s decision to take a long lease on a run-down building on the Ipswich waterfront was definitive in encouraging subsequent large-scale redevelopment of the area.
He is survived by Margaret, by his children Simon, Jane and me, and by his sister, Christine.
