Martin Allen and Patrick Ainley
Letter Guardian Education 24/06/08
Mike Baker raises some important points about A-levels
http://education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,,2285812,00.html
While it’s true that only a minority gain three grade As, the general rise in standards at A-level is to be welcomed, though it reflects a situation where more and more young people feel they have to “go to [...]
Martin Allen
The Government’s attempts at implementing the specialist diplomas - the cornerstone of the 2005 14-19 White Paper - continue to stumble. Earlier this year in a effort to restore momentum, Children, Schools and Families minister Ed Balls announced three more additional diploma lines in humanities, science and modern languages and a new ‘extended’ diploma [...]
Martin Allen
Post-16 Educator March-April 2008
The Cambridge Pre-U, an alternative qualification to A-level, currently being piloted by schools in the Independent sector is set to receive the backing of QCA, the government exam watchdog. In contrast to the modular AS-A2 system used at A-level, the Pre-U returns to the more traditional linear approach. With assessment of [...]
Martin Allen and Patrick Ainley
The Guardian 15/04/08
The government’s new strategy for 14-19 follows the peak in numbers of 18-year-olds entering higher education (42.5% in 2005-06), along with those achieving two A-levels (34% in 2006).
Although more than 80% remain in full-time education for a year after the compulsory school-leaving age, increased participation has been accompanied by increased [...]
Martin Allen
Post-16 Educator March-April 2008
‘Functional skills’ are being piloted in 1000 schools and colleges. Part of the Tomlinson working group proposals for 14-19 education, their introduction is a response to demands from employer representative for higher standards in literacy and numeracy amongst young people. Completing functional skills will be a necessary requirement for moving on [...]
Martin Allen
Post-16 Eductor Nov-Dec 2007
Ed Balls’ announcement of 3 new ‘subject based’ diplomas does not represent a fundamental change of heart by the Government. Neither, as Head teachers leader John Dunford correctly observes (TES, 26/10/07), does it constitute a return to the spirit of Tomlinson.
As Balls’ announcement makes clear, New Labour are [...]
Martin Allen
FORUM Vol 49 No 3 2007
(www.wwwords.co.uk/FORUM)
Despite reports of ministers wanting to delay implementation, government have given the go-ahead for 5 new specialist diplomas to begin from September 2008 in a limited number of schools and colleges. The 2006 Education Act gave young people a ‘national entitlement’ to study one of 14 vocational areas outlined [...]
Martin Allen
Socialist Education Journal No.2 Oct 06
August brings the annual hue and cry about A-levels being too easy, with this year proving to be no exception. The London Evening Standard front paged with ‘A-grades for one in four A-levels’ while The Guardian provided a picture of a 12 year old computer games fan, celebrating his A [...]
