The local East Midlands slot in The Politics Show yesterday (12/2/12) revisited the story about vocational vs academic accreditation. It reported that the JCB sponsored Engineering Specialist diploma has been down graded from a 5 GCSE equivalent to 1 GCSE - what does that say to engineering businesses and the students who want to work in our manufacturing sector?
I am already appalled at this elitism and flawed thinking by the Education Department and it got me thinking. JCB had major input into the development of this course. The CBI regularly complain about the lack of work skills of young people leaving school and we want to encourage our struggling manufacturing sector. Surely if the qualification is designed for business it is training our young people in the EXACT skills their industry wants and so it is of immense value to those businesses and the students involved.
Why can't the government understand that not all young people want to go to university or peruse a service career?
If the reason is, as stated, that schools are using the vocational qualification equivalents to boost league tables why can't we report on the Specialist diplomas separately and scrap the equivalents? This would enable us to see how successful the diplomas are and which schools succeed in getting students through vocational qualifications. It would also allow students to have certificates that have value in the vocational sphere that they can show employers. Alternatively, if that is a bit obvious for the government, why not give the diplomas NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) equivalents instead of GCSE? They are already up and running and have a brand and value to employers and surely have a more natural fit with the diplomas than GCSEs.
Come on Mr Gove, let's do something positive and re-enforcing here rather than negative and demotivational!
I am already appalled at this elitism and flawed thinking by the Education Department and it got me thinking. JCB had major input into the development of this course. The CBI regularly complain about the lack of work skills of young people leaving school and we want to encourage our struggling manufacturing sector. Surely if the qualification is designed for business it is training our young people in the EXACT skills their industry wants and so it is of immense value to those businesses and the students involved.
Why can't the government understand that not all young people want to go to university or peruse a service career?
If the reason is, as stated, that schools are using the vocational qualification equivalents to boost league tables why can't we report on the Specialist diplomas separately and scrap the equivalents? This would enable us to see how successful the diplomas are and which schools succeed in getting students through vocational qualifications. It would also allow students to have certificates that have value in the vocational sphere that they can show employers. Alternatively, if that is a bit obvious for the government, why not give the diplomas NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) equivalents instead of GCSE? They are already up and running and have a brand and value to employers and surely have a more natural fit with the diplomas than GCSEs.
Come on Mr Gove, let's do something positive and re-enforcing here rather than negative and demotivational!
Well said - they forget the amount of time students spend on vocational studies, which restricts the number of traditional GCSEs these students can take. That said I also agree that some students may be 'persuaded' to do the diploma or a vocational subject in Ryder to up the school's achievement rather than because it will be better for the student. How to strike the balance I suppose.
ReplyDeleteIf the government did track these separately it would help with issues like this as well as reflecting a more balances and accurate view, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteThey were dealt with separately before and no guides given as to how they fit in to the overall standards. As with everything there should be standards we can all work towards, hopefully together and with input from teachers on the front line.
ReplyDeleteImplementing badly thought through, rushed ideological changes such as this and the English Bacc cause many difficulties, not just associated with having the goalposts moved in regard to targets but also in teachers' dealings with parents who very often aren't aware of the politicians involvement in setting the curriculum; they blame the teachers for "changing it all - yet again".