As pupils and parents reflect on GCSE results, Schools Minister Andrew Adonis outlines the changing face of education and what it will mean for young people in Birmingham.
England’s education system is changing. From September, young people in Birmingham will begin to see the difference in the way they learn and options open to them.
This is an exciting time – a time of new possibilities. It is also a good point to reflect on why these changes are so important and what they will mean.
We know the education system to date meets the needs of some – but not all – of our young people; yet it is vital we have a curriculum which allows everyone to achieve their potential.
The world our children are growing up in is very different from the world we experienced. When you look at the labour markets of tomorrow, the increasing demand for skills from employers and the rising skill levels of emerging economies like China and India, it’s clear we have to raise the bar in the skills our young people leave school with.
Gone are the days when you could leave education with no skills or qualifications and find and stay in rewarding work. If we don’t change the system to create new and more relevant options and enable more young people to be successful, there’s a huge risk they will get left behind.
This is what’s behind the changes being made to the way we educate 14-19 year olds. We need to ensure our young people are equipped for success in an increasingly global economy and there is a suite of options available to motivate and engage all.
We’re offering a new set of qualifications choices and different learning styles so each young person can pick the route that will work best.
This is the biggest change in educational opportunity for a generation. It is beginning this autumn, and will build up in phases over five years. Eventually, all young people aged 14-19 will be able to choose from one of three routes – GCSEs/A-levels, apprenticeships and the diploma.
These routes will allow students to create combinations and choose the path which best suits how they want to learn, providing a way into university or into employment.
What do these routes entail? You may be familiar with traditional GCSEs and A-levels and, despite what you may have read, there are no plans to abolish them.
They will be revamped to make them more robust and relevant. For example, literacy, numeracy and ICT will be embedded into the curriculum alongside personal skills, such as presentation skills and teamwork.
This will ensure students taking these qualifications are better-prepared for work and more able to undertake independent study if they choose to progress to university.
An A* grade is being introduced at A-level to recognise the achievements of the brightest students.
As with GCSEs and A-levels, apprenticeships have been around for some time. Apprenticeships are, in essence, paid employment with training and a qualification awarded at the end.
We know apprenticeships are an attractive option for many young people so we are expanding the programme to new sectors and industries.
The new kid on the block is the diploma which will be introduced in a number of areas, including Birmingham, from September.
This addition to the qualifications landscape offers young people the chance to mix learning in the classroom with hands-on, practical experience in the workplace.
Next term, students in Birmingham will begin studying diplomas in creative and media and engineering and, from September 2009, a diploma in information technology will be available.
By 2013, all young people in the city and across the country will be able to choose from one of 17 diplomas, from manufacturing and product design to languages.
The diploma presents an important change in the way we educate young people. For too long there has been snobbery and misconceptions regarding ‘vocational’ education.
The diploma goes some way to bridging this academic/vocational divide, providing a well-respected and robust route that fully prepares young people for university or work.
It can be taken at three levels – foundation, higher and advanced. The foundation diploma is worth five GCSEs; the higher diploma is worth seven GCSEs; and the advanced diploma is equivalent to three-and-a-half A-levels.
It has been recognised and supported by employers and the university community with over 5,000 employers involved in the design of the first five diplomas and 253 higher education institutions stating they will consider applications from diplomas students. This list includes most of the big hitters such as Oxford, Warwick, Leeds and Bristol universities.
Underpinning the three educational routes is a new programme of learning for those who struggle to achieve in education; for example the vulnerable or those with special needs.
This programme, the foundation learning tier, will recognise achievements in areas such as personal learning and vocational skills to prevent young people leaving school or college with no qualifications. It is intended to be a stepping stone to GCSEs, apprenticeships and the diploma.
Another fundamental part of this programme of change is that, subject to parliamentary approval, by 2014 all young people will stay on in compulsory education or training until the age of 18. The benefits of staying in education or training post-16 are not to be underestimated. Research shows people with two or more A-levels earn on average 14 per cent more than those without, and someone with an advanced apprenticeship earns on average £100,000 more over their lifetime than someone who leaves with GCSEs alone.
We’ve come a long way since Ruth Kelly set out proposals for educational change as part of the 14-19 Education and Skills White Paper.
These proposals announced our vision for an education system to stretch the most able students; provide high-quality learning for those not motivated by traditional qualifications; ensure all students achieve set standards in English and maths; and end disengagement that leads some to leave education early.
These were ambitious targets but, three-and-a-half-years on, progress has been solid and we are well on the way to achieving our goal of providing young people with a set of qualifications to help them make the most of their talents and their lives.