Date: May 12, 2008
Release: Immediate
NEW RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FAILURES IN 14-19
REFORM
A report published by CfBT Education Trust reveals failings in
the reform of 14-19 education and training provision in England.
The report, Learning Matters: Making the 14-19 reforms work for
learners, describes several past initiatives from which we could
learn both what to avoid and how to improve. Despite several
attempts at qualifications-led reform during the past 15 years, the
overall participation rate for 16-18 year olds has not increased
since 1994, raising questions about the approaches to reform being
used.
The author, Geoff Stanton, suggests four reasons for the
problem: a concentration on the assessment of achievement, rather
than on improving the learning experience; a failure to give
sufficient influence to those who know the learners and their
needs; a failure to focus on the needs of those who are not heading
for university at 18 – more than half the population; and the
inability of policy makers to learn from experience.
The report also analyses current proposals, and argues that the
range of qualifications that make up the Government’s official
offer to 14-19 year olds is not sufficiently comprehensive or
attractive to meet their needs. There are particular problems with
the development process used to design the new 14-19 Diplomas,
which may result in some content that does not appeal to learners
and a burdensome assessment regime. It is therefore important that
existing, popular and more vocational qualifications should be
preserved. All this will become even more important if we attempt
to raise the learning leaving age to 18.
“We need to improve the learning of policy makers as well as of
14-19 year olds”, says Geoff Stanton, “and to recognise that
methods of improving learning programmes matter at least as much as
the re-design of qualifications. Building on the learning processes
that have been shown to work should be our starting point if we are
to achieve the government’s commendable ambitions.”
Tony McAleavy, Education Director for CfBT Education Trust said,
“The current 14-19 policy is not working well. Many recent
initiatives relating to qualifications and testing have gone wrong
in similar ways and required urgent and unplanned revision within a
few years. But as ministers have said, only if we can implement
policy in a way that means that more young people learn and more
achieve well can we secure the benefits for individuals, the
economy and society.
A summary report contains a list of recommendations, and the
full report gives detailed facts, figures and case studies in order
to back them up. The author will be talking about this research at
an event on June 9, in central London. To register your interest in
attending please email research@cfbt.com
Ends
Notes for Editors:
The reports referred to in this release are available for
download from: www.cfbt.com/evidenceforeducation/Default.aspx?page=393
CfBT Education Trust is a leading education consultancy and
service organisation. Our object is to provide education for public
benefit both in the UK and internationally. Established 40 years
ago CfBT Education Trust now has an annual turnover exceeding £100
million and employs more than 2,000 staff worldwide who support
educational reform, teach, advise, research and train.
As a not-for-profit organisation we commit around £1 million of our
surpluses every year for practice-based educational research.
For more information contact:
Lindsay Blamires
CfBT Education Trust
60 Queens Road
Reading
Berkshire
RG1 4BS
Tel: 0118 902 1841
lblamires@cfbt.com