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Exams getting easier? What about Functional Skills?

Nicola Hughes

By: Nicola Hughes

Communications Leader

Monday 23 July 2012

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It’s difficult to ignore the recent headlines referring to the ‘race to the bottom’, and the lowering of standards in education. The sector has seen heavy criticism over the last few weeks for syllabuses being too accessible and qualifications too achievable. The assertion is that organisations ‘shop around’ for the easiest courses to deliver, allowing them to appear higher in the league tables.

 

So, it’s interesting to note that the new Functional Skills qualifications are  set to be more challenging than their predecessors. Functional Skills will replace Key Skills in September of this year, after almost a decade of the previous approach to literacy and numeracy provision.

 

Functional Skills encourage independent thinking and learning which by their very nature demand more of learners. The robust system of assessment includes open-ended questions where learners are asked to practically apply the skills they’ve learnt to real-life scenarios, contextualising the subject area to everyday life.

 

Although this approach is positive, it also comes with its challenges. As organisations plan for the transition this September, they are no doubt considering how to address the needs of their entry level learners who may struggle with the new qualifications.

 

So, what is the right approach to take? How can we ensure that standards remain high but that we also reward the achievement of those with the lowest levels of skills?

 

NCFE offers the full range of Functional Skills qualifications and can support you in your Functional Skills delivery – read more here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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