‘Education, education, education’ was a priority for the previous Labour government. Under Blair, spending neared record levels. Reaching almost £120 billion by 2010 - up from £70 billion in 1997, education spending constituted 5.4% of GDP, its highest since the mid-1970s. The ‘austerity’ programme imposed by the Tories lead to a sharp decline. Expressed as … Continue reading Education spending if Labour wins next time.
A step forward or a step Bacc? Sunak’s proposals for abolishing A-levels
At first glance, the proposals in A World-Class Education System. The Advanced British (distinctly English!) Standard, (ABS) being presented to Parliament next week, represent a complete turnaround in government plans for post-16 education – from separate academic and vocational ‘pathways’ to a new baccalaureate-style qualification, which according to Secretary of State Gillian Keegan will draw … Continue reading A step forward or a step Bacc? Sunak’s proposals for abolishing A-levels
The return of the NEET
. This month’s labour market statistics show the employment rate at 75.5%, a fall of half a percentage point on the previous quarter. Unemployment has also risen by over half a percentage point to 4.3% - up from 3.7% a year ago, though rates of economic inactivity (the number of people not working, but not … Continue reading The return of the NEET
Results day. How low can it get?
Not so long ago, ‘results day’ in England would see leading figures in education, from Tory ministers to National Union of Teachers General Secretaries line up to unequivocally congratulate young people on their achievements and celebrate rising standards. But with education increasingly like running up a downwards escalator, where you have to run faster simply … Continue reading Results day. How low can it get?
T-levels struggle on
If next month’s A-level results will be subject to detailed scrutiny – in particular for indications that grade distribution is now ‘back to normal’ after Covid; results for the second cohort of T-level students will also be published. Last year, the first cohort, just over a thousand (1,029) students, received results in the three subject … Continue reading T-levels struggle on
‘Rip off’ universities and ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees – the latest stage in education’s ‘Great Reversal’?
Rishi Sunak’s provocative remarks about ‘rip off’ universities and ‘Micky Mouse’ degrees are merely the latest stage in Tory attempts to limit the number of students attending HE. There have been a series of initiatives, in particular the 2019 Augar report which sought to leaver more young people into job-related courses in FE; the 2021 … Continue reading ‘Rip off’ universities and ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees – the latest stage in education’s ‘Great Reversal’?
Education, qualifications and skills. A critique.
Post-16 Educator Issue 112 A comment on issues raised by Dave Ridley in the current and previous edition of http://post16educator.org.uk/ Does gaining educational qualifications really improve performance and productivity in the workplace? For crude versions of what has become known as human capital theory (HCT) this is indisputable: for the economy as a whole, increasing levels … Continue reading Education, qualifications and skills. A critique.
Skill deficits or labour shortages?
As the UKs economic difficulties persist, there’s a continued focus on skill shortages. Most discussions ignore issues of job quality, yet it’s evident that labour supply issues are more visible in jobs deemed ‘low skilled’ with lower wages and poor employment conditions. In otherwords, rather than productivity and increased output being held back by skill … Continue reading Skill deficits or labour shortages?
Chinese youth: racing after qualifications, or ‘lying flat’?
Chinese graduates face an increasingly difficult jobs market. Churning out 12 million of them every year, China’s economy is suffering from a mismatch between the jobs available and the qualifications of jobseekers. Between 2018 and 2021 the number of graduates increased by more than 20%. In response, Chinese authorities have announced subsidies for companies that … Continue reading Chinese youth: racing after qualifications, or ‘lying flat’?
What did happen to ‘Core Skills’?
The think tank Demos has launched a major attack on the inadequacies of the current school curriculum and how it is failing many young people seeking employment. https://demos.co.uk/research/the-employability-badge-skills-for-life-work-and-a-stronger-society/ Demos reports that transferable skills are now more valuable to employers - skills like leadership, teamwork, problem solving and emotional resilience for example. It argues that schools … Continue reading What did happen to ‘Core Skills’?
Education, Economy and Society 