24th September 2014 6:00
By Blue Tutors
Schools regulator Ofsted has warned that too many school children drop out of sixth form or college and are not getting the opportunities that they need in order to help them secure their futures. The regular has said that it is not enough to keep students in education post 18 if they are not getting the qualifications they need. The high drop-out rate is leading to increasing numbers of young people who are not in employment, education or training, otherwise known as ‘neet’. Ofsted’s report said that measures need to be taken to ensure that students continue their educational achievement after GCSE and get the qualifications to meet their aspirations.
They cited figures which suggest that 1.18 million 16-24 year olds are not in education or employment, a figure which could be much higher given that this demographic is hard to document. The put the rising figures down to poor teaching of Maths and English, and warned that many education providers were offering courses which do not meet the standard requirements to help young people into higher education or employment. They also highlighted a consistent problem with careers advice, pointing out that advice for many young people is weak or absent all together, and does not help them make the right decisions.
Ofsted has recommended that certain measures be taken urgently in order to prevent current and future youngsters from missing the opportunities available to them. They said that education providers and employers needed to work together to ensure that the education provided leads to employment opportunities. In addition, they called on the government to ensure that they develop a system for tracking young people as they move into different stages of their lives, in order to make sure that they don’t fall between the cracks. They suggested that local councils could be made responsible for tracking students and ensuring that those who have dropped out of studies are targeted for help.