28th March 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Ministers have revealed that as part of an overhaul of the current education system, they are intending to offer seven qualifications in engineering and construction to equip students with the relevant skills. In addition to this, thousands of vocational qualifications will be cut from the A-level system as they are considered to be of ‘limited value’.
Labour criticised the government saying that its current focus on vocational education is merely an ‘afterthought’. There will be four new engineering qualifications and three in construction for pupils aged 14 to 16. Furthermore, a new committee is going to be set up which will include exam boards, employers, professional bodies and those involved in higher and further education in order to develop and improve the construction qualifications.
These will be considered by some as similar to the former Labour government’s decision to introduce diploma qualifications in construction, society health and development, and information technology into some English schools in September 2008. In 2012, those supporting the engineering diploma were dissatisfied that the vocational qualification for pupils aged 14-16 had been downgraded from its five GCSE equivalent status to just one. However, George Osborne worked with employers to redesign the diploma and create something that would adequately prepare students for the engineering sector.
The government are also planning to consult over whether to remove 90% of vocational qualifications from the A-level league tables in England. They want the vocational courses to have a value in their own right as opposed to appearing to count equally with other subjects. The current benchmark for GCSE students to achieve five A* to C grades can include equivalent qualifications such as fish husbandry and horse care but this appears set to change.