Under his proposals, AS-Levels will no longer count towards the final grade and become stand-alone qualifications. A-Levels will now be assessed at the end of the two year period and universities will be given greater influence on the content and structure of the curriculum.
I am not alone in my concerns that these changes and their focus on academia are a step backwards for education. It begs the question: what about preparing young people for employment? We know frustration is growing amongst employers that schools and universities are not providing people with the skills they need for the real world. Businesses want employees who have the relevant work experience and skills to add value from day one.
I'm sure many readers will have first-hand experience in helping young people adjust to work and the demands of an employer. That's why education - whether academic or vocational - should prepare young people for employment. To achieve this, not only does the education system need to operate like the workplace, but employers need direct involvement. But it's not just for those of us in education to speak out against these proposals; businesses also have a responsibility to recognise how this could negatively impact on them.
Let's start with the changes to A-Levels. Gove believes A-Level students spend too much time preparing for exams in a 'learn and forget' approach to studying so wants to see just one assessment at the end of the two-year period. He claims this will help students learn their chosen subject more deeply and in a linear fashion, stepping away from the current modular approach.
But consider how that translates to the workplace. It would be insane to wait for two years to assess a project or to update someone on their personal development. Why should this be different in schools? It seems to me that Gove's focus is out of touch and completely at odds with the working world.
Gove also plans to engage the research-intensive Russell Group universities in shaping the curriculum. However if the end goal of education is employment, then surely both employers and universities are critical stakeholders? And won't this pigeon-hole those who don't see university as the next step after A-Levels? It would be more appropriate for both universities and employers to be involved in this process so that technical and employability criteria are more prominent.
Although we welcomed the Government's decision to shelve plans for introducing EBCs, I have similar concerns around the proposed reforms to GCSEs. While it is encouraging to see the Government announce a broader criteria for measuring student performance, rather than just the narrow Ebacc measure of five academic subjects, we hope they take the opportunity to ensure the views and needs of employers are included in any changes to the GCSE curriculum. Whichever educational route a young person takes, it must include employability skills each step of the way. Vocational, work-based qualifications, contextualised learning and general employability skills must be taken into account if we are to provide the skills businesses need to grow now and in the future.
There have been some more positive developments; last year, the Government announced its plans to develop a Technical Baccalaureate. Alongside this, City & Guilds is refreshing its own TechBac -a high quality programme to give young people the chance to progress in a way that best suits their learning styles and ambitions. By combining general and/or competence-based qualifications with hands-on experience, it will place them in good stead for their future careers. We will be taking this forward, working closely with a range of partners to ensure that we meet the needs of both young people and employers.
In her first couple of weeks with us, one of our apprentices at City & Guilds said: 'We don't go to school just to go to school. We go to school to get a job.' Gove needs to look deeper than assessment methods and strengthening academia. He needs to look at how things are being taught, what's being taught, and whether they truly prepare people for employment, whatever educational route they may take.
Chris Jones, CEO and director general, City & Guilds
