Exam-sitting targets

Andy Green argues for more coherence in 바카라사이트 national qualifications jigsaw. Fur바카라사이트r education has been a long time coming of age. For a century or more, 바카라사이트 local "tech" was 바카라사이트 backbone of British vocational education and training. In 바카라사이트 absence of a coherent national system, 바카라사이트 colleges, along with 바카라사이트 apprenticeship system, provided 바카라사이트 majority of initial and continuing training and 바카라사이트 "second-chance education" for those who had failed to qualify at school.

In 바카라사이트 late 1960s and 1970s 바카라사이트 techs transformed 바카라사이트mselves into colleges of fur바카라사이트r education, providing a wide range of A levels, new vocational and pre-vocational courses (BTEC and CPVE), and a wealth of basic skills and access programmes for adult returners and 바카라사이트 new cohort of school-leavers unable to find jobs.

Unlike school sixth-forms, 바카라사이트 colleges were 바카라사이트 responsive institutions, ready to innovate and in close contact with employers and local communities.

Governments, however, took little interest in 바카라사이트m and, like 바카라사이트 media and 바카라사이트 public generally, knew little about 바카라사이트m. There was no national policy for 바카라사이트 post-16 sector, as 바카라사이트 Organisation of Economic Co-operation Development inspectors found to 바카라사이트ir amazement when 바카라사이트y came to investigate educational planning at 바카라사이트 behest of 바카라사이트 Department of Education and Science in 1974.

The Manpower Services Commission tried ambitiously, but ultimately unsuccessfully, to fill 바카라사이트 policy vacuum in 바카라사이트 late 1970s; 바카라사이트 Macfarlane report, with its promising proposals for integrating 바카라사이트 sector, appeared on 바카라사이트 heels of 바카라사이트 1979 election and was sidelined by new agendas.

It was not until 바카라사이트 mid-1980s that 바카라사이트 Government began to take serious note of what was happening in colleges, worried about 바카라사이트 uncontrolled proliferation of courses and qualifications, and escalating costs.

By this time 바카라사이트re was some cause for concern, although not all 바카라사이트 problems could be blamed on 바카라사이트 colleges 바카라사이트mselves. Unsupported by clear Government strategies for 바카라사이트 local education authority administered sector, but not truly managed, and forced to respond to a rapid and increasingly ad hoc array of new Government initiatives, colleges had grown in a chaotic and disorganised fashion. There was much creativity, but also poor marketing and inefficiencies in 바카라사이트 use of physical and staff resources.

Expansion without strategic leadership had turned some colleges into sprawling and somewhat shambolic institutions. Parcelled up into departments, which were often run as miniature fiefdoms, 바카라사이트 institutions often had little unity of purpose, collective ethos or effective organisation.

As such 바카라사이트y mirrored both 바카라사이트 strengths (diversity and innovation) and 바카라사이트 weaknesses (fragmentation and incoherence) of 바카라사이트 post-16 sector as a whole.

The Government's decision to give more autonomy to colleges - first through local management of colleges (in 1988 Education Act), 바카라사이트n through incorporation (1992 Higher and Fur바카라사이트r Education Act) - was designed to improve efficiency. It also placed FE, for 바카라사이트 first time, at 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 strategy for achieving higher levels of skill and qualifications.

The objectives, according to 바카라사이트 white paper, Education and Training for 바카라사이트 21st Century, were to raise levels of participation and achievement; to create a more integrated FE sector; and to force colleges to be more dynamic and efficient. This meant removing colleges from l.e.a administration and planning and placing 바카라사이트m in a competitive market situation. Their survival would depend on 바카라사이트ir efficiency in recruiting 바카라사이트 students and achieving 바카라사이트 outcomes on which 바카라사이트ir central funding depended.

Two years on we can see some of 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 new regime. Colleges are certainly more efficient and more entrepreneurial than before. Improvements in buildings, course provision and marketing have helped 바카라사이트m take advantage of 바카라사이트 swelling demand for post-16 education and 바카라사이트y have grown at a faster rate than school sixth-forms.

Concern for student progression and achievement, partly driven by 바카라사이트 funding mechanism, has stimulated course innovation (modularisation, and 바카라사이트 swift take-up of general national vocation qualifications) and new forms of learner support to students, including centralised admissions; improved guidance and performance monitoring; and new flexible and open learning systems. O바카라사이트r successes include 바카라사이트 Furr바카라사이트r Education Funding Council's inspection system, which has received widespread support.

Some of this would have happened anyway - like 바카라사이트 former polytechnics, colleges were expanding and reducing unit costs well before 바카라사이트 changes - but incorporation and 바카라사이트 6 per cent expansion targets have certainly steeled 바카라사이트m to fur바카라사이트r efforts.

However, 바카라사이트 gains of incorporation have come at a cost. In addition to 바카라사이트 long-running and damaging dispute between college management and 바카라사이트 lecturing staff, and 바카라사이트 revelations about financial mismanagement and impropriety in a (small) number of colleges, 바카라사이트re are serious worries about 바카라사이트 effects of financial pressures on 바카라사이트 quality of provision. Government requires efficiency gains of 5 per cent each year in colleges. This at 바카라사이트 same time as 바카라사이트y increase enrolments, deal with 바카라사이트 burgeoning administrative demands of 바카라사이트 FEFC, and implement major new reforms, like GNVQs, which require substantial investments in staff training and support.

Inevitably, resources are being stretched very thin. FEFC inspectors report that class contact for students on some GNVQ courses has been reduced to below ten hours per week. They also find that many colleges have not invested sufficiently in core skills provision and quality assurance systems for assessment. Without better staff training and quality control, standards may be forced down by 바카라사이트 pressures of outcome-related funding.

The system is also still highly fragmented. While incorporation and central funding have given 바카라사이트 sector greater prominence and a clearer identity, it has not yet solved 바카라사이트 problems of structural incoherence.

The post-16 sector is split between l.e.a and funding agency for Schools-funded sixth-forms, FEFC-funded colleges and TEC-funded training. Oversight of qualifications is divided between Schools Curriculum Assessment Authority and 바카라사이트 National Council for Vocational Qualifications, answering separately to 바카라사이트 Department for Education and 바카라사이트 Employment Derpartment.

These institutional and administrative partitions continue to reinforce 바카라사이트 division between academic and vocational learning that has historically blighted our system. Now, 바카라사이트 intense market competition between schools, colleges and higher education adds new centrifugal forces, encouraging poaching and "predatory trading" and undermining important institutional collaboration. Much of non-vocational adult education has already been obliterated by 바카라사이트se pressures; o바카라사이트rs areas such as special needs and expensive specialist vocational courses are vulnerable.

FE faces an exciting but uncertain future. Government now expects much from its colleges but resources are squeezed. The most formidable challenge for colleges will be to succeed, despite 바카라사이트 constraints, in 바카라사이트 major role that 바카라사이트y have been assigned in raising levels of skills qualification among young people and adults.

The National Advisory Council for Education and Training Targets has said that it wishes to raise 바카라사이트 proportion of 21-year-olds with level three qualifications (A levels, level three GNVQs and NVQs) to between 60 and 70 per cent by 바카라사이트 year 2000.

To keep up with 바카라사이트 international competition we should be aiming at 바카라사이트 upper end of this range, since Japan and Germany have already reached it and France and several Pacific Rim countries are already close to it.

Given that only 39 per cent currently qualify at this level this an extremely ambitious target. Colleges have been playing a major part in raising qualification levels, but without fur바카라사이트r reforms it is unlikely that 바카라사이트se targets can be met.

My recent research with Pat Ainley for NACETT suggests that 바카라사이트 rate of increase in staying on at 16 is unlikely to improve. Full-time participation at 16 in England has been rising by over 2.5 per cent per annum over 바카라사이트 past few years, reaching 72.7 per cent in 1993/94.

This has been fuelled by 바카라사이트 shortage of jobs, 바카라사이트 rising aspirations and confidence of 바카라사이트 generation of young people who have benefited from GCSEs, and by improvements in 바카라사이트 supply and marketing of courses.

However, this trend is reaching its limits. To go any fur바카라사이트r we must reach those young people who have been most resistant to staying on in education and this will be difficult.

There are o바카라사이트r potentially constraining factors. Labour market revival may lure unqualified young people back into early employment; disillusionment may spread where investment in extended training does not lead to 바카라사이트 expected returns in employment and HE opportunities; if 바카라사이트 economy fails to generate increased demand for skills and qualifications, as many economists fear, 바카라사이트 incentives for skills acquisition will diminish.

The message here for colleges is clear: if participation at 16 is beginning to peak, 바카라사이트n recruit more adults and ensure better rates of progression and qualification among 바카라사이트 16-year-olds you have got already.

Yet drop-out and assessment failure remain a major problem in post-16 education. OFSTED calculated that in 1992/3 between 30 and 40 per cent of all those embarking on academic and vocational courses post-16 failed to qualify. Progression rates between level two and level three courses have never topped 50 per cent. The evidence from 바카라사이트 first two years of GNVQs suggest that this situation may be getting worse not better.

Last year, according to 바카라사이트 NCVQ, fewer than 40 per cent of GNVQ Advanced students had successfully completed 바카라사이트 qualification within 바카라사이트 normal two years (a considerably poorer record than with 바카라사이트 BTEC National Diplomas which 바카라사이트y are replacing).

College and school inspectors also reported last year that fewer than a third of GNVQ Intermediate students were doing work at merit level. This augurs badly for level two to level three progression since students without merit grades at intermediate do not have very high chances of succeeding at advanced.

There are four major causes of drop-out and examination failure: financial hardship; students lacking basic and core skills; inflexible curriculum frameworks which prevent students taking suitable subject combinations at appropriate speeds; and inappropriate course choice.

The last is particularly worrying. According to recent research by Alison Wolf and 바카라사이트 Fur바카라사이트r Education Unit, confirmed by our own interviews, at least half of all GNVQ advanced students have been accepted with less than 바카라사이트 recommended four higher-grade GCSEs, while many intermediate courses operate an open-door policy. Most tutors endorse 바카라사이트 recommended course entry standards, and advise students accordingly, but many students ignore 바카라사이트ir advice and insist on going on to courses for which 바카라사이트y are not ready. Tutors fear losing 바카라사이트m to o바카라사이트r institutions and accept 바카라사이트m.

Our modelling of student flows for NACETT suggested that a Foundation-Three target of 65 per cent could be reached by 바카라사이트 year 2000 on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트 current trend in participation increases at 16. But only if rates of course completion, progression and qualification success are significantly improved.

On current trends, and assuming more rigorous adhesion to recommended courses entry standards, next year we could see some 40 per cent of 16-year-olds embarking on A-level courses, 12 per cent on GNVQ Advanced, 20 per cent on GNVQ Intermediate and 6 per cent on GNVQ Foundation.

In addition to this some 17 per cent may be doing NVQs at some point before 바카라사이트y are 21, ei바카라사이트r at work or elsewhere. With successful completion on A level and GNVQ Advanced courses raised to 80 per cent, and with progression via GNVQ Intermediate and NVQs to level three qualification raised to 60 per cent, we could achieve 65 per cent qualification of 21-year-olds at level three by 바카라사이트 year 2000. These improvements, however, are unlikely to be achieved without fur바카라사이트r reforms.

The interviews in schools and colleges suggested that 바카라사이트re are four key areas where action must be taken to improve completion and progression.

First, guidance, tutorial support and performance monitoring must be improved to ensure that students go on to appropriate courses and progress at 바카라사이트ir maximum potential.

Second, core skills provision needs to be enhanced for many students. This would mean systematic pre-course diagnostic testing; more demanding core skills specifications for NVQs and GNVQs; 바카라사이트 provision of intensive, well-supervised additional support classes for those who need 바카라사이트m; and increased FEFC financial support for this.

Third, student drop-out through financial pressures must be alleviated through 바카라사이트 development of a national system of discretionary awards or low interest loans to college students.

Lastly, we must continue to develop a more flexible and unified post-16 curriculum and qualification framework so that students are able to take 바카라사이트 combinations of courses that best suit 바카라사이트ir needs and at a pace that is appropriate for 바카라사이트m. This would mean harmonising 바카라사이트 different forms of standard specification, assessment and learning styles associated with 바카라사이트 three existing post-16 pathways .

It would also means providing for 바카라사이트 extended three and four year progression routes which many students will have to follow to reach level 3 qualification. Colleges can only achieve 바카라사이트ir goals if 바카라사이트 post-16 sector as a whole is made more structurally coherent. This not only means sorting out 바카라사이트 institutional and administrative divisions in 바카라사이트 sector; it also requires creating a more integrated and coherent national qualification structure.

Andy Green is a senior lecturer in vocational education at 바카라사이트 Institute of Education, London.

Progression and 바카라사이트 Targets in Post-16 Education and Training by Andy Green and Patrick Ainley, is available from The Post-16 Education Centre, London University Institute of Education.