In the week, sunshine returned to the UK, and the prime minster said he was “obsessed”with “levelling up” the country, further education was talking about one thing: the plans for qualification reform at level 3.
On Wednesday, the Department for Education announced it would de-fund BTECs and other applied general qualifications where they overlapped with T levels, and set out its plans for students to have three progression options after GCSEs: A levels, T levels or anapprenticeship.
The announcement sparked outrage after years of campaigning from leaders against the proposals.
News:
Need to know:
Boris Johnson: We’re escalating the value of vocational
Never fails to amaze me how DfE can claim we need to slash the number of Level 3 quals like BTECs to make the system ‘simpler’, at the same time as signing off 600+ apprenticeship standards (and rising).
Cognitive policy dissonance?
???
- Tom Richmond (@Tom_Richmond)
This is simply not true. By defunding many BTECs by 2024, Post-16 choices will not be improved, they will be restricted - especially for those who are most disadvantaged. ?
- William Baldwin @BHASVICteaching (@bhasvicteaching)
Whilst T Levels are welcome and what is needed by many employers and students, the over-hasty withdrawal of funding for BTEC programmes will disadvantage many more (particularly from underrepresented groups and those from deprived backgrounds).
- Bill Jones (@BJonesDCEOatLum)
I am worried about this. Mainly I suspect that it will push more young people down from a level 3 qual to a level 2 qual. Given the +ve returns to many existing level 3 quals this is not a good thing.
- David Robinson (@DavidR0bins0n)
No you are not. You’re doing the exact opposite.
Please come to Hartlepool so we can discuss this in the context of our economy. DM open
- Darren Hankey (@HCFEprincipal)
No, you are reducing choice. The majority of 16 year olds don’t want to specialise in one area. BTECs provide choice and progression routes for thousands of young people. Your plan is shortsighted and flawed in its assumptions. This will significantly impact social mobility.
- EmmaYoung@GodalmingCollege (@EmmaGodalming)
Hugely damaging to impose a binary choice of T-levels or A-levels at 16 Btecs: Level 3 qualification reforms to be announced by the DfE | 91
- Pam Tatlow PrimeHE (@Pam_Tatlow)
Not a single person has taken a T-level yet and there are still no solutions to the vast challenge of finding enough employer support, but DfE thinks they’re ready to axe all alternative vocational qualifications (incl BTECs).
1/10
- Johnny Rich (@JohnnySRich)
Reckless plans to scrap BTECs and other level 3 qualifications to be replaced by unproven T levels. Government has not listened to educator. As usual.
- Anne Nicholls. (@anneenicholls)
There are some poor quality BTECs that need to be removed, however, this very narrow view of FE/Tech education as solely about employability is wrong. Many people have careers unrelated to their education, ask Amanda Spielman
- Lance Finn (@Mindgeek78)
