Civitas, an independent think-tank, has voiced its concerns that poor quality 'vocational' or 'vocationally related' GCSE qualifications are locking both low-income and vocational education into second-class status - ironically, given the recent trend for City gents to retrain as plumbers.
According to Civitas's latest report, schools are focusing on top grades (C to A*) at GCSE while putting pressure on less academic students to opt for more vocational subjects instead. This means that the schools' results will look better, but that students who are just 'average' academically are potentially being neglected, and are having their career opportunities reduced at a very early stage.
The report's author, Anastasia de Waal, head of family and education at Civitas, says that 'Too many people are being cheated in this government stunt: pupils, employers and the public, and all to make the government look like it's doing better than it is'.
While Civitas claims that vocational courses are being used to 'baby-sit' weaker students who might jeopardise government-set exams targets, we have heard various concerns over recent years about the number of academic high-fliers our education system is churning out - graduates who are fantastic at passing exams but who have little to bring to the world of work. How to achieve a balance? At the end of the day, we will always need people with vocational skills. When should we be encouraging students to opt for a vocation - is GCSE stage too early? And what do employers want?
Comments (3)
Posted by Rob Wye | August 27, 2008 2:33 PM
Between the ages of 14 and 16, all students, including those pursuing Level 2 Diplomas, will be required to study English, mathematics, science, ICT, citizenship, physical education, religious education, sex education and careers education. This will take up around half of their timetable.
For the other half of their timetable, young people have a wide range of choice, including the traditional subjects but can also combine those subjects with vocationally related learning, courses which also deliver skills which all employers seek - application of number, communication, information technology, improving their own learning and performance, problem solving and working with others.
It is disappointing that there is still a small number of commentators who do not understand that vocationally related learning at 14-16 does not mean “training for a trade”, but includes giving young people insight into what it would be like to work, for example, as a surveyor or architect, as a mechanical engineer, or in the health service.
Posted on August 27, 2008 14:33
Posted by Steve Huxham | August 27, 2008 2:36 PM
Let me throw a question back in, then – at what age do any students know for sure what the “right” vocation is for them? Aside from the small, focused minority who do set themselves deliberately on a particular path (career, academic or sporting) from a young age, I would suggest it is probably not by the age at which those students have to sit GCSEs.
If we work back from that premise, then that should answer the question – schools should be encouraging pupils to keep as wide a range of interests and studies for as long as possible (subject to budget and class size considerations) and certainly not herding them into a particular vocation that they may be later quite unsuited to and unhappy in – that’s potentially a lot of unhappiness to store up for these students in later life. Whether it’s for the sake of wretched Government targets on results, or just a “nanny knows best” mentality in some schools – if it is happening it should stop.
Now on the other hand – the thorny and perennial topic of “graduates who are fantastic at passing exams but who have little to bring to the world of work”, perhaps we could bring in just one new “vocational” qualification? Anyone for a GCSE in common sense?
Posted on August 27, 2008 14:36
Posted by Sally Collings | October 2, 2008 8:48 AM
I work with young people recovering from mental illness. Some of them have never done paid work before and do not know what type of work is available to them or what they want to do. Can you suggest any good websites for an individual to use - where they answer questions that will help with career advice.
Posted on October 2, 2008 08:48