A
new survey has found that vocational courses are held in much higher esteem by
youngsters in other countries than they are in England.
The
Pathways to Parity report, conducted by the Office for Standards in Education,
examines the lessons that might be learned from a consideration of vocational
education and training for 14-19 year olds in Denmark, The Netherlands and
Australia.
The
report claims that participation of 17-year-olds in education and training in
England is low compared with other European countries and there "remains a
perceived lack of parity of esteem or value between vocational and academic
qualifications" in this country.
David
Bell, chief inspector of schools, said: "We need to raise staying-on rates
and do more to exploit the role of employers in developing and assessing
qualifications."
