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According to a recent survey for the Confederation of British Industry, 93% of 294 firms felt they knew best what employee skills they needed and would like qualifications to be better tailored to their needs. Almost half of those surveyed (45%) stated that many applicants with the right skills did not have the right mindset for work, while 39% said they often lacked any general work experience. The survey also revealed that 62% of organisations are worried about poor computing skills, 55% about literacy and 51% about numeracy.

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Michael Gove has proposed an increase in working hours for teachers, suggesting that limits of 1,265 hours a year should be scrapped. The department has made a submission to the School Teachers’ Review Body, which it must consult before changing pay and conditions. The reaction from the union has been one of outrage, suggesting that the Education Secretary is destroying teaching as an “attractive profession” and “adding fuel to the fire of anger that already exists among teachers.”

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GCSEs in England are set to be overhauled, with exams graded from 8 to 1 rather than A* to G. It is proposed that the new-style exams will be brought in from 2015 and will spell the end of continuous assessment with a move towards final exams. Students will face more rigorous content and the format will be similar to O-Levels. The reforms will initially apply to a group of 9 core subjects.

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A recent report, commissioned by independent education charity, the Edge Foundation, has established a link between a low take-up of vocational courses in Britain and high levels of youth unemployment. In the UK, one in five (21%) young people were out of work in 2012 in contrast to just 9.5% in the Netherlands. Interestingly, in the UK only 32% chose vocational options in upper secondary education compared with 67% in the Netherlands.

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Education Secretary, Michael Gove, received an angry reception when he appeared before head teachers in Birmingham at the National Association of Head Teachers’ conference. The union passed a no confidence motion in his policies, while President Bernadette Hunter said that teachers and pupils have "never had it so bad" and that teaching staff live in a culture of “bullying.”

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A recent survey conducted by qualifications regulator Ofqual suggests that many teachers, heads and parents lack confidence in GCSE grades. The research (carried out by 4,686 people) showed that four out of five head teachers and two-thirds of teachers have had their confidence knocked by the grading controversy of last year. Ofqual would like to see faith in GCSEs restored, but what’s the answer and how can these concerns be addressed? Michael Gove suggests that the survey highlights the need for fundamental reform. A Department for Education spokesperson stated, "New GCSEs will be introduced from 2015 - they will be more rigorous, with deeper subject content and will match the best equivalent exams in the world.”

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The Government has announced plans to introduce a Technical Baccalaureate as a 'mark of achievement' for the 50% of school-leavers who don't go on to university. It will consist of 3 strands, including an approved vocational qualification equivalent to Level 3, a core Maths qualification and an 'extended project’ designed to test skills in communication, research and motivation. The Department for Education is currently consulting on the list of vocational qualifications that will qualify for inclusion on the 'Tech Bacc' approved list. These vocational qualifications could be in any sector area from engineering to hairdressing, but will be taught at a level of complexity on a par with A-levels.

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Teachers have warned that the switch to final exams, rather than a series of smaller units could see girls’ results fall. Data shows that girls have been outperforming boys in GCSEs at grades A*-C for more than 20 years, as GCSEs have been heavily based around coursework projects and extended essays. However, The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) suggests that girls often lack the confidence to perform well under the pressure of a ‘high stakes’ final exam system. The Department for Education denies that there are gender differences in how pupils perform in different exam structures.

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As part of the Government’s recently launched Skills Strategy, struggling colleges in England are set to face a tougher regime. According to Skills Minister Matthew Hancock, there will be "swift and effective action" for colleges which are “failing learners.” Inspectors have found that there are 4% of colleges which fall into this category and have been identified as inadequate.

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A recent survey amongst young people suggests there's a misalignment between young people's career expectations and the reality of the jobs available. Nick Chambers, Director of the Education and Employers Taskforce, says that the results highlight the need for better careers advice and indicate that teenagers have a weak understanding of the labour market.

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Blog posts for author:Lindsay Plumpton

UK employers want more control over training

Teachers to face a rise in working hours

New-look GCSEs unveiled

Report establishes link between low take-up of vocational courses and high levels of youth unemployment

Education Secretary faces frosty reception at head teachers’ conference

Lack of confidence in GCSEs – what’s the answer?

'Tech Bacc' announced to boost status of vocational courses

Will GCSE reform disadvantage girls?

Rapid intervention for ‘underperforming’ FE colleges under Skills Strategy

Teenagers' 'mismatched' job ambitions

Authors

Lindsay Plumpton

David Grailey

Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Esme Winch

Michael Lemin

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Blog posts for author:Lindsay Plumpton

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Authors

Lindsay Plumpton

David Grailey

Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Esme Winch

Michael Lemin

Categories

Archive