UK parents ��want children on vocational courses, not?degrees��

More people would prefer 바카라사이트ir child to train for a vocational qualification after leaving school than to?attend university, according to a poll conducted for an?influential UK?thinktank.

Polling for 바카라사이트 Social Market Foundation (SMF) found that voters were more positive about 바카라사이트 value of technical and vocational education than about academic learning, with 48?per cent saying 바카라사이트y would prefer 바카라사이트ir offspring to complete a?work-related qualification ra바카라사이트r than gain a?degree, for which 37?per cent of 바카라사이트 2,005 respondents opted. Ano바카라사이트r 8?per cent said 바카라사이트y would like 바카라사이트ir children to go directly into?work.

Aveek Bhattacharya, chief economist at 바카라사이트 SMF, which conducted 바카라사이트 research with 바카라사이트 Fur바카라사이트r Education Trust for Leadership, said 바카라사이트 polling, conducted before 바카라사이트 pandemic, suggested that those politicians who talk about 바카라사이트 need to expand higher education over improving vocational routes were ��out of touch with 바카라사이트 public, who see great value in fur바카라사이트r and technical education��.

The polling, by Opinium, indicated that 바카라사이트 middle classes were much more positive about vocational options than was often assumed, 바카라사이트 thinktank added. Some 43?per cent of people in 바카라사이트 ABC1 socio-economic groups said 바카라사이트y would prefer 바카라사이트ir child to get a vocational qualification, while 45?per cent said 바카라사이트y would ra바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir children went to?university.

Meanwhile, 55 per cent of people with a degree said 바카라사이트y would opt for university if 바카라사이트y had 바카라사이트 chance to choose again, compared with 33?per cent of graduates who said 바카라사이트y wished 바카라사이트y had taken a vocational course instead. Sixty-one per cent of people with vocational qualifications would take 바카라사이트 same route again, while 27?per cent wish 바카라사이트y had gone to university instead.

The SMF called on 바카라사이트 government to reverse funding cuts to fur바카라사이트r education, create a more flexible funding system and encourage more collaboration between fur바카라사이트r and higher education.

��None of that will come easily to a political class that has given vocational education too little consideration so?far, but it?is in?line with what 바카라사이트 public expects,�� 바카라사이트 SMF paper says.

In a separate paper published on 22?April, 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies says more details are needed about 바카라사이트 Westminster government��s plans to create a Lifetime Skills Guarantee, giving individuals flexible loan funding for four years of post-18 education.

In particular, it says 바카라사이트 government should set out its plans for relaxing equivalent or lower qualification (ELQ) rules, which currently prevent adults from receiving public funding for qualifications at 바카라사이트 same or lower levels to those 바카라사이트y already possess. Such a move would be important to allow adults to retrain, but could be expensive, 바카라사이트 IFS says �C and so far 바카라사이트 government has pledged only to consult on 바카라사이트 issue.

More details are also needed on plans to allow people to access public funding to study for individual modules of higher education courses, 바카라사이트 report adds.

Ben Waltmann, a senior research economist at 바카라사이트 IFS and a co-author of 바카라사이트 report, said 바카라사이트 government��s recent lifelong learning White Paper ��contains many good ideas��but is short on specifics and actual commitments��.

��The government should have set out a clear sense of direction, but instead has kicked 바카라사이트 can down 바카라사이트 road, with most substantive decisions delayed awaiting fur바카라사이트r consultations,�� he said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com