Britain’s young people have the wrong skills for the workplace, warn business leaders
A story picked up that is very close the vocational and functional skills debate in the Daily Telegraph on March 28th by Louisa Peacock.
Key industries including aerospace, engineering and IT are suffering as a result of the practical skills dearth, according to business leaders.
Just 16pc of companies think the education system teaches young people the [...]
Federation of Awarding Bodies response to Wolf
This piece appeared on the FAB site this morning.
It always seems polite for any organisation’s response to the latest Government policy proposal or the newest worthy report to be peppered with the words ‘We welcome …’ and ‘We are pleased to see…’ even if the organisation had to search to the last chapter to find [...]
Value for money of 16-18 education questioned
Poor budgeting and performance management could be wasting some of £6bn spent on sixth-form education, says National Audit Office
Whitehall’s spending watchdog has warned that some of the £6bn spent each year on educating 16- to 18-year-olds may be going to waste.
The National Audit Office said it was impossible to judge whether the government was getting [...]
Functional Skills getting talked up this week
Lots of really positive comment this week.
QCDA evaluation, an article in the Guardian, Pearson Policy review all positive.
All genuinely good news I have to say.
And we even launched www.myguroo.co.uk to the student market - coincidence though!
Letters: The bac and other school measures
Last week, I presented a review of vocational education to Michael Gove, the secretary of state for education. In your paper yesterday, the shadow education secretary, Andy Burnham, is quoted as saying: “Last week, Professor Wolf warned of a ’serious risk’ that the English bac will lead to schools ’simply ignoring’ less academically able students.” [...]
Michael Gove accused of trying to bring back grammar schools by back door
Labour shadow Andy Burham would not have passed baccalaureate
Michael Gove is turning the clock back to the 1950s and introducing grammar schools by the back door, Labour will warn on Saturday as it launches a campaign against the “elitist” English baccalaureate.
In a personal intervention to highlight Gove’s plans to encourage a “dog eat dog world”, [...]
The Wolf Report - English and Maths
The Wolf report – a review by Jonathan Wells of Guroo focussed on English and Maths.
You may well have read other general commentary on the Wolf report in recent days; this one focuses on how the report deals with Functional Skills – and by extension maths and English.
Well, the proverbial elephant in the room is [...]
BTecs to get national results day
Vocational course results will be opened up to public scrutiny in July when Edexcel publishes students’ achievements
It looks like a bold decision. An exam board affected by controversy over the use of vocational courses to help schools rise up league tables is about to open up its data for full media scrutiny.
Edexcel is to hold [...]
Encouraging entrepreneurs is vital for the future
A new review of vocational education misses an opportunity to encourage the promotion of entrepreneurial skills so vital for our future, says Tom Bewick
Alison Wolf’s review of vocational education is potentially a retrograde step in terms of making real progress; and not because her central desire to elevate the quality of vocational learning is wrong.
Her [...]
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Functional Skills
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