Education & Training 2010: 2007 Report on the UK s progress towards the Lisbon Objectives

Transcription

1 1 Education & Training 2010: 2007 Report on the UK s progress towards the Lisbon Objectives A note on devolution within the UK: In the United Kingdom responsibility for education is devolved to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each of the Devolved Administrations (DAs) has its own approach, which is best understood as a distinct system and not as a minor variation on the English model. However, to keep within the Commission s length limits, this report describes the common features of the UK systems, and notes differences in the DAs where there are distinctive features. Glossary CSR DAs DEL DELLS DfES FE HE LSC Level 2 NEETs SE WAG Comprehensive Spending Review a three yearly review and rebalancing of all Government expenditure the Devolved Administrations (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) Department for Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland Department for Education Lifelong Learning and Skills in Wales Department for Education and Skills in England Further Education primarily offering vocational and second chance education to adults and young people over 16. higher education, delivered in Universities and Colleges of Further Education Learning & Skills Council, responsible for all publicly funded post-16 funding in England except HE the normal school leaving qualification at 16 or vocational equivalents (ISCED 2) year olds not in education, employment or training Scottish Executive Welsh Assembly Government

2 2 Chapter 1: Presentation of the national lifelong learning strategy 1.1 The current state of play Whether a lifelong learning strategy was established in your country by the end of 2006, and if not what is the timetable for its establishment In 2006 the English Department of Education and Skills (DfES) published a revised strategy A Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners: Maintaining the Excellent Progress. This built on the previous (2004) strategy which had launched a shift towards partnership and devolution of responsibility for service delivery; with a strong focus on personalisation of services and responsiveness to the needs of learners, parents and employers. The revised strategy is closer to the EU notion of an integrated lifelong strategy, increasing integration across sectors which were formerly administered separately. The revision also aimed to build a more direct link between objectives and incentives, and to respond to the Government s Capability Review of the Department. This integrated approach is shared in Wales, where the Welsh Assembly Government laid out its strategy in The Learning Country in 2001 and updated this in The Learning Country:Vision into Action in This covers the full range of lifelong learning, and is complemented by the Skills and Employment Action Plan for Wales (updated 2005). Scotland retains a more sectoral approach, with four strategic documents for school/pre-school, post-school education and training, enterprise and workforce development, and social inclusion. Northern Ireland has revised its 1999 Lifelong Learning Strategy, and published a new overarching Skills Strategy, Success Through Skills in Plans for future adjustment, completion or modification of the strategy In 2007 the Treasury will publish the new three year Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) report, which will set the financial framework for all public services for the next three years. In the light of this the DfES will publish a new five year strategy. Scotland and Wales are both currently reviewing the purposes and functions of post-compulsory education and training, and the Welsh Assembly Government is currently reviewing the school curriculum. Policy change is possible in the DAs since both Wales and Scotland are holding general elections in May 2007, and devolved administration has just been returned to Northern Ireland Executive Any obstacles encountered in the establishment of your strategy. No major obstacles have emerged to date. Extensive consultation about the plans and responses suggests widespread agreement about overall direction and priorities, although less clarity about how they can be achieved. 1.2 Comprehensiveness, coherence and relevance Which systems and levels of education and training are covered The English strategy covers all levels and systems 1. In Scotland and Northern Ireland separate policy documents together cover the full range of lifelong learning, although delivery is managed through distinct Departments. In Wales, The Learning Country: Vision into Action covers the full range of lifelong learning. 1 The UK convention has always been to use the term lifelong learning to refer to post-school learning only. In this paper, the comprehensive EU definition is used.

3 1.2.2 The challenges addressed by the strategy, including improving the efficiency and equity of education and training systems, and how these have been identified (evidence base) Key principles of Government strategy across the UK are increased engagement of learners, parents and employers, the extension of individual choice, the raising of standards for all, and the easing of transitions between the phases of education. A major aim is to move from a model where institutions respond to Government priorities to one where they respond directly to the needs and demands of individual learners, parents and employers. One reason for this is to rebalance the roles and responsibilities of the state, employer and individual, recognising that, when potentially unlimited demand confronts limited public resource, the role of public funding must be clearly defined. Central objectives are: raising social mobility, narrowing attainment gaps and improving performance across the system, and ensuring responsiveness to employer and individual needs. Some specific challenges include the creation of a model of lifelong progression which stresses continuity throughout the education and training process; a less directive approach to quality assurance across all sectors; and a coherent qualifications framework across all levels and sectors The priorities for action and policy development within the strategy, in the light of these challenges. The linked priorities of social inclusion and economic success are shared across the UK, and there is a general goal to reduce the numbers of young people on a path to failure in adult life, and to close the skills gap at all levels, as highlighted by the Leitch report of December 2006 (see 3.4.1). There is a shared aim to decrease the proportion of year olds not in education, training or employment (known as NEETs see 3.4.7). Wales and Northern Ireland have particular concerns with the employability skills of the economically inactive. Scotland has a particular focus on community learning and the unemployed. 1.3 Main policy measures The main policy measures in the strategy and how these fit together There are four key policy papers in England. Every Child Matters (Consultative Paper, 2003, and other publications) brings together local communities, schools and children s, health and social services to deliver an integrated service of pre-school, school and out of school education from birth to 19. Higher Standards: Better Schools for All, (White Paper 2005) increases the autonomy of schools, empowers parents and personalises learning support Education and Skills (White Paper, 2005) provides flexible pathways through education across the traditional break point at 16, and strengthens vocational choice. Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances (White Paper, 2006) strengthens the employer voice in the design and delivery of vocational training and qualifications. Key policy papers in Wales include Children and Young People: Rights to Action, Skills and Employment Action Plan for Wales, and Reaching Higher (HE strategy) outline the measures designed to address progress towards the EU benchmarks, including any national targets in these areas, The UK has chosen to address the EU benchmarks through its existing system of performance measures. In England, these are based on Public Service Agreements (PSAs). PSA targets use measured outcomes, and results are published for each institution and Local Authority. They are used in funding, and provide a rigorous tool to monitor progress and ensure accountability. They will be revised as part of the outcome of the CSR. Benchmarks 1 (early school leaving) and 3 (22yr olds completing upper secondary education) are effectively treated as a single measure achievement of a full Level 2 2 qualification. Recently, progress has been made. PSA Target 12 aims to reduce the proportion of 3 2 Level 2 qualifications are the normal school leaving qualification at 16 and its vocational equivalents.

4 young people not in education, employment or training by 2% by This is the focus of a recent Green Paper, Raising Expectations: Staying in education and training post-16 (see 3.4.6). Benchmark 2 (maths, science and technology graduates). There is no explicit UK target to address this, but 26% of all degrees awarded are in maths, science and technology (excluding medicine), and 37% of these are women. University applications in these subjects are rising. Benchmark 4 (reading literacy of 15 yr olds). Reading literacy is assessed, alongside all other core elements of the national curriculum, regularly throughout the individual s school career. Individual learner data is collected annually and performance data is published at school and Local Authority level. Benchmark 5 (adult participation rates). By European and international standards the UK has a high proportion of adults participating in formal education and training (29% in 2005), but the UK has no participation target, since UK policy prefers to base performance measures on outcomes rather than inputs. Current targets are, by 2010, to improve the basic skills levels of 2.25 million adults, and to reduce by at least 40% the number of adults in the workforce who lack a full Level 2 qualification. The Leitch Report (see 3.4.1) also set the following targets for 2020: for 95% of adults to achieve the basic skills of functional literacy and numeracy, for over 90% of adults to be qualified to at least Level 2, and for over 40% of adults to reach Level 4 and above. In the Devolved Administrations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland the PSA process does not apply and existing national lifelong learning targets are used allocation of resources to main policy measures, including any national targets for more / more efficient use of funds and the use of EU funds to support lifelong learning (e.g. Structural Funds, European Investment Bank), The Government has announced that Education spending in England will grow as a proportion of national income to 5.6% in 2010 compared to 5.0% to in one of the highest growth rates in the EU or G8. In 2007, the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) will redistribute resources in the light of changing economic and social priorities, and ensure efficient use of resources for work which crosses Departmental boundaries. This funding will be linked to a set of public service agreements (PSAs) and indicators, which HM Treasury will use to measure the impact of the investment. Investment in the DAs is less directly linked to PSAs than in England, as the DAs control their own budgets within the overall allocations from HM Treasury. The European Social Fund programmes have been used to add value to a range of Government training programmes and initiatives across the UK, and this will continue in the new programme period Measures to change attitudes to learning A range of measures aim to raise awareness of opportunities to learn, and motivate individuals to participate. They include the parental engagement strategy Every Parent Matters, (2007), which seeks to engage parents in their children s education. For adults they include the national learning telephone helpline service Learndirect (and Learndirect Scotland), specific campaigns aimed at particular groups, like the Get On television campaign (encouraging people to enrol in basic education programmes), Adult Learners Week (which uses ESF funding) and Family Learning Week, which raise the profile of adult learning and highlight the success it brings to peoples lives). The UK is actively involved in skills competitions and the biennial WorldSkills Competitions (hosted by UK in 2011) provide an opportunity to create public interest in skills issues. Following the Leitch report a high profile Big Skills advertising campaign is being launched in summer Strengthening evidence-based policy making, using a culture of evaluation, leading to innovation in education and training, The UK has a very strong record of gathering and using evidence as the basis for policymaking. There are four main components of this approach: Administrative data: the School Census, which collects personal and achievement data annually on every pupil aged 5-16, and the Individualised Learner Record in further education, are 4

5 powerful tools for understanding progression, and identifying weaknesses in provision and systems. Such evidence has led to curriculum change to ensure that every individual is achieving at his or her full potential. Commissioned research: Government Departments and DAs commission research directly to inform practice across the whole range of lifelong learning. The decision to expand pre-school education, for example, results directly from studies which reveal the impact of early years development on social inclusion and educational performance. Directly funded but independent research centres: six centres funded by Government in England to investigate specific policy related areas of education and training, including wider benefits of learning, economics, basic education and systematic literature reviews. Collaboration with Research Councils: Government works closely with the independent national Research Councils to encourage academic research in key policy areas Dissemination: Governments across the UK actively disseminate research findings to the media, the public and the research and policy community. DfES holds an annual conference for academic researchers and the policy community to disseminate findings and inform policy Measures to target the needs of disadvantaged people (e.g. immigrants, ethnic minorities, the disabled). UK policy puts a strong emphasis on access to employment as a strategy for overcoming social exclusion. Nine of the fourteen PSA targets directly address issues of social exclusion, and all the remaining five all aim to ensure that individuals have the skills and qualifications to participate fully in the economy. Funding incentives to institutions; financial support systems for students; and specific initiatives encourage institutions to respond and help individuals to overcome barriers to access (see 3.1.3). In Wales Extending entitlement is a policy designed to ensure every year old can access 10 basic entitlements which will help them to participate effectively in education, employment and the lives of their communities. 1.4 Development, implementation and dissemination: Coordination and consultation mechanisms involving all relevant stakeholders, Government has extended the range of consultative mechanisms across all education and training in the UK, disseminating broad strategic documents and specific policy proposals through Green and White Papers, and stimulating debate in professional and lay communities. Scotland has a National Forum on Lifelong Learning, and Wales a Ministerial Advisory Group which involve a wide range of stakeholders in policy discussions. In VET, a range of consultative bodies has been created to support the implementation of the Skills Strategy (see 3.4.2). From time to time, enquiries are set up into specific topics, and these consult widely before making recommendations for change to Government. Recent examples include the Leitch review of Skills Policy, and the Dearing review of Language Teaching Implementation arrangements, including publicity and dissemination. All major policy documents, the reports of institutional inspections, and the performance tables for all Schools and Colleges are published, in hard copy and on Government websites, as are a range of discussion and consultative documents, and the reports of enquiries into major issues like Skills or Language teaching. The Scottish Joint Funding Council has published its Corporate Plan and mounted a publicity campaign and events to stimulate debate and raise awareness of the objectives. In Wales, The Learning Country and other strategies are widely available, and the Government publishes an annual report on how it is achieving the targets set. The Learning Country: Vision into Action set out progress since 2001 and the work still to be carried out. In Northern Ireland, as well as using the usual channels to report on progress with the implementation of Success Through Skills, an annual Skills Conference is held to maintain interest and focus on the Strategy. 5

6 6 Chapter 2: Implementation of transversal policy objectives 2.1 The establishment of national qualification systems and frameworks (in line with the European Qualifications Framework), and the elimination of obstacles between levels and systems The various parts of the UK have been refining qualification frameworks for over 20 years, reflecting long standing concerns that existing qualification systems were incoherent, with a large and confusing number of awarding bodies and qualifications, and with limited opportunities to accumulate credit or to develop coherent and flexible progression routes. The major reform of vocational qualifications in the 1980s and 1990s had systematised qualifications, and introduced a universal model of outcome definition, but had not rationalised the overall pattern; it was difficult to add new qualifications when needed, or to remove obsolete ones; and the overall system was insensitive to changing employer needs. The current work therefore aims at Simplifying the landscape of qualifications for employers and learners; Reflecting the skills needs of employers; Providing clear routes to employability and progression; Being more responsive to learners needs; It involves the unitisation and credit rating of programmes to support credit accumulation and transfer; the inclusion of both academic and applied knowledge and skills; the linkage of all levels, including schools based, higher education and VET qualifications; and increased flexibility in assessment. Both Scotland and Wales now have fully functioning credit accumulation and transfer systems which can support progression across the full range of qualifications. The Scottish Framework is the most advanced, and has had a major influence on curriculum reform in post-school education and training, although its impact on learner progression has yet to be assessed. Its Implementation Plan has recently been evaluated and it now has a new National Stakeholder body. The Scottish Framework has continued to develop, most recently through the incorporation of non-academic qualifications through Community Learning and Development Services, Further Education and Social Services. The Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales has adopted a similarly inclusive approach, seeking to incorporate all learning outcomes, including those from informal and employer based learning. The English system, dealing with a much larger number of institutions and agencies, has taken longer to develop, but work to convert the National Qualification Framework (NQF) into a fully unitised and credit rated Qualifications and Credit Framework will be complete by 2010, In Higher Education, most institutions have committed themselves to developing a credit based structure in line with ECTS following the report published in The Framework is intended to be shared by England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is supported by a publicly accessible database, listing all recognised qualifications available, linked to specific occupations. All the work in the UK has progressed in parallel and close consultation with developments of the EQF, and the expectation is that the result will align with EQF. A major initiative is in hand across the UK to create a more coherent phase of education, and particularly to reduce the damaging effect of the break at 16 (the minimum legal school leaving age), when many young people change institutions. The current model has not been successful at retaining the less able, and those with vocational aspirations, and led to high levels of withdrawal at 16. The English development was launched with the 2005 English White Paper Education and Skills, followed by an Implementation Plan a year later which proposes a much more coherent approach to education. There are three key elements to the reforms: raising attainment, introducing a new curriculum and qualifications to ensure young people stay motivated and engaged, and creating a local delivery infrastructure capable of delivering the

7 curriculum and qualifications entitlement. Key priorities of the Plan are: improving functional skills in English, maths, and ICT (a serious issue among early leavers); developing a series of new Diplomas incorporating theoretical and applied learning, suitable for young people whether preparing for work, further training or higher education; changes to A Levels to challenge and stretch the most able students. Under the Plan, every year old will be entitled to pursue one of the 14 Diplomas at an appropriate level. The aim is to overcome the traditional academic/vocational divide in English education, and increase retention by offering a more diverse and flexible curriculum. It will also offer an alternative to traditional learning styles by combining general education and workrelated learning to motivate those less stimulated by a conventional academic curriculum and to encourage more young people to consider a wider range of options. Diplomas will be available at 3 levels, with the highest being broadly equivalent to university entrance level. The first five Diplomas will be available in September 2007, and 14 will be available by The Education and Inspections Act 2006 requires local authorities and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to secure provision, and Local Authorities and the LSC are responsible for drawing up comprehensive prospectuses to ensure that young people know what provision is available in their area. This will also help to identify gaps in provision. In Wales the emphasis on learning pathways seeks to ensure that all young people are able to fulfil their potential. The Welsh Baccalaureate, which brings together a coherent package of learning is being rolled out post 16 across Wales and is being piloted pre 16. The Credit and Qualification Framework for Wales is being used to credit rate the informal and non formal aspects of this, and the first learners have achieved credit. In Northern Ireland, the Department of Education (DE) and the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) are working together to develop education provision, and enhance collaboration between schools and Further Education institutions in the provision of a more skills-focused curriculum. 2.2 Identification and validation on non-formal and informal learning, Although there has been interest in the accreditation of informal and non-formal learning across the whole UK since the early 1980s, and efforts were made to develop systems as part of the reform of vocational qualifications in the late 1980s, they failed to establish widespread credibility with learners, educational institutions or employers, and in the absence of a fully developed system of credit accumulation and transfer, have not developed beyond small local initiatives. Development was mainly related to work on the credit frameworks, adult and community learning activity and alternative entry routes to higher education (Access Courses), much of it managed and certificated through the Open College Networks across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Accreditation of informal and non-formal learning was not widely adopted in vocational learning, although the design of the national vocational qualifications allowed evidence-based achievement which could include recognition of informal or non-formal learning. However, as the credit frameworks have become more established, there has been significant progress. In England and Wales a range of materials have been developed to support the Recording and Recognition of Progress and Achievement (RARPA) in non-accredited learning, while in Scotland, the SCQF Guidelines for the Recognition of Prior Learning (2005) provide guidance to learning providers across all post-16 education and training sectors in Scotland on the management of the process. In Wales the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW) team commissioned a number of exemplar projects during to test the recognition of non-formal learning across a wide range of subject areas, levels and learning contexts. The Welsh CQFW team is also working extensively with the Health sector and with Sector Skills Councils to develop the recognition of workplace skills outside the National Qualifications Framework., and work is in hand to develop approaches to the recognition of informal learning with the age group. 7

8 2.3 Widely accessible lifelong guidance policies and systems, Across the UK it is widely recognised that Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) about education, training and work can improve access, raise awareness of opportunities, and change attitudes to learning and skills. Currently, every adult in England and Wales can access a free, integrated information and advice service comprising the national learndirect telephone and on-line advice service and, in England, local nextstep information and advice services, with priority for those without a first, full level 2 qualification. In England, Lord Leitch s 2006 report, Prosperity for all in the Global Economy World Class Skill, included a recommendation to rationalise existing fragmented information silos and develop a new universal adult careers service to enable people to make informed choices about improving their learning and skills. This was in line with the emerging conclusions of a separate cross-government review of Information, Advice and Guidance for adults. The intention is that the new careers service for adults will empower individuals by promoting a positive, proactive approach to career management, with learners able to choose from a menu of services, accessed face-to-face, on-line or over the phone and encouraged to dip in and out of the menu throughout their careers. The service will be underpinned by high quality labour market information, and by a customer tracking and follow-up system providing learners with ongoing, personalised support. The English strategy would maintain separate services for young people, but will aim to ensure that transitions between services are managed effectively and that common issues such as quality standards, labour market and occupational information, contracting and workforce development were looked at collaboratively. After further consultation with partners, and in the light of the Comprehensive Spending Review, a detailed specification and implementation plan for the new adult careers service will be published later in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland already have all age careers services, and Wales provided the first fully-functional all-age (bilingual) online careers service. The Scottish Executive is currently refocusing its all-age careers service, and has established WorkforcePlus as part of a comprehensive strategy to enable those disadvantaged in the labour market to progress into sustained work through effective partnership at a local and national level. Careers Wales combines services inside and outside learning institutions, manages Learndirect in Wales and leads on the development of education/business links more broadly. In Northern Ireland, DEL is developing an independent, all-age Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Strategy, to encourage increased participation in education and training, in conjunction with DE and other key stakeholders. 2.4 Measures to reinforce transnational mobility in all sectors, including through the removal of administrative and legal obstacles, the implementation of Europass, or by the provision of financial or other support. There is extensive transnational mobility in the UK, notably, but by no means exclusively, in higher education. The net flow is strongly into the UK, reflecting particularly the international role of the English language. The new EU programmes for education, training and young people (Lifelong Learning and Youth in Action) have been introduced into the UK with a targeted publicity campaign. The intention is to increase involvement in the programmes, particularly among disadvantaged and underrepresented groups such as minority ethnic and language communities, older workers, business and employers in particular SMEs, looked after children, people with disabilities, institutions and people in remote areas and/or in economically deprived areas. The National Europass Centre for the UK has been successfully established, with the same provider as hosts the UK NARIC. The UK NEC has undertaken a survey to determine the level of awareness of Europass across the UK. This research suggested that, despite considerable marketing activity, awareness of Europass was low. Therefore, priority for the NEC is to intensify its efforts in promoting Europass, and to raise awareness of the initiative. The recent Dearing Review of language teaching aims to raise the, traditionally low, status of foreign language teaching in the UK school system. Mobility has not been substantially affected 8

9 by recent security concerns, although visa requirements have been tightened. There is also a substantial movement of academic staff in higher education, with the balance slightly towards inward rather than outward movement. Scotland is seeking to address its projected demographic decline through its Fresh Talent initiative which aims to attract and retain bright, hardworking, and motivated people from outside Scotland to live, study and work in Scotland and make a positive contribution to the economy and society. The Welsh Assembly Government is seeking to extend transnational mobility beyond the higher education sector through bilateral mobility agreements (students and staff) between further education colleges in Wales and partners from the European Association of Regional and Local Authorities for Lifelong Learning (EARLALL) and from existing Memoranda of Understanding with other regions and countries. It is also encouraging higher take up by drawing on EU funds such as the Lifelong Learning Programme. 9

10 10 Chapter 3: Implementation of policy objectives in schools, higher education, vocational education and training, and adult education 3.1 Elements to be reported on for all levels Governance and leadership of education and training institutions (e.g. organisational and administrative reforms, autonomy and accountability measures, public/private initiatives), In England the move from central management and direct service delivery by Government towards a more devolved approach with strong partnerships with more autonomous institutions involves the creation of new forms of school. Legislation has been enacted to create Trust Schools, which will be autonomous, but state funded, schools, governed by independent charitable foundations. Trust schools will employ their own staff, will manage their land and assets, and make their own admission arrangements within the national School Admissions Code. Research evidence shows clearly the importance of leadership to the performance of institutions, and attention has been given to improving leadership in all areas of lifelong learning through a series of national leadership agencies: the National College for School Leadership; the Centre for Excellence in Leadership for Further Education, Adult Education and VET; the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education; and the Scottish Leadership Foundation. The 2007 Northern Ireland Quality Improvement Strategy for further education and training, Success Through Excellence includes a commitment to supporting and developing leadership and management at all levels within the further education and training system, and leadership and management development programmes are being developed Stimulating private investment from enterprises, households and individuals, A major thrust of UK policy at all levels has been to readjust the balance of resourcing between the state, employers and individuals, and to focus state funding in areas of demonstrated market failure. Public funds are being concentrated on ensuring that people of all ages have full school leaving qualifications (Level 2), since above that level the private rate of return on qualifications is significant, and individuals and employers can properly be expected to make a contribution. Private contributions to lifelong learning come from both employers and individuals, and a large element, especially in the schools sector, is in the provision of time and expertise by outside experts and lay people. Thus experienced business people give time to serve as advisers to educational institutions, and every English school has a school improvement partner (who may be an experienced headteacher from another school, or another expert), who acts as a consultant to help the school to prepare its annual plan and monitor its progress. Academies are state schools (in England) where private sponsors contribute funds, and importantly time, to the funding and direction of the school, usually in areas of social and educational deprivation. Over 100 Academies have opened or are in development stage, with a target of 200 open by Progress is positive, with student application rates high. In Further Education and VET, the LSC s funding methodology has been reviewed. Funding is now firmly focused on securing an entitlement to education and training for all up to the age of 18, and free courses leading to basic skills and a first level 2 qualification for all above that age. It is expected that, over time, a growing proportion of the costs of other programmes will be met by individuals or employers, and funding to Colleges assumes that the proportion of private fee income will rise over time. New funding arrangements have been created for the FE Sector in Northern Ireland, to support better its new strategic aim and objectives, and the restructuring of the Sector, into a smaller number of large area-based institutions, will produce administrative efficiencies.

11 The Leitch report (see 3.4.1) has recommended the faster expansion of funding models currently employed in England: that by 2010 public funding for adult VET should be demand led, with funding channelled through Train to Gain (for employers) or Learner Accounts (for individuals), ending the supply side planning of skills provision.. In higher education, the major change has been the introduction (in England and NI, of top up student fees. In the 2006/7 academic year, for the first time, full time first degree students were expected to pay substantial fees for their study, reflecting the high rates of private return to first degree qualifications. Part-time and postgraduate programme fee levels, on the other hand, are not regulated, and Universities raise substantial sums by this means. Higher education institutions are also engaged in a wide range of research and development partnerships with business. HEFCE is funding pilot projects to support a strategic objective to increase the total private sector contribution to higher education. The power created by the Higher Education Act (1992) to give degree awarding powers to private sector institutions has been used for the first time with the College of Law. An important innovation has been the introduction of Individual Learning Accounts, which sought to support a more customer led model of education and training. An initial scheme, under which individuals received state funds in return for an individual contribution, and could then use these to purchase training and education from a range of providers proved unexpectedly successful in engaging learners (1M in the first year), but had to be suspended as a result of technical problems. It has been successfully restarted in Wales and Scotland, and new pilots are to be launched in England in 2007, targeted specifically at study at level Widening access, and improving equity of participation, treatment and outcomes, especially for disadvantaged learners (e.g. migrants, ethnic minorities, the disabled) Overcoming social exclusion has been a central element of Government policy for many years, and policy in lifelong learning is strongly directed at ensuring equal access for all. The research evidence shows clearly the importance of early years education in determining life chances, and the availability of much improved data on individual learners (through regular assessment and the Schools Census) has made it possible to refine understanding of the processes of exclusion, identifying and responding to the needs of particular sub groups. Throughout children s services, the Every Child Matters strategy focuses on reducing social exclusion and enhancing the protection of vulnerable children through 3,500 new Sure Start Children s Centres and through every primary and secondary school becoming an extended school offering a wide range of out of hours activities to pupils, parents and the wider community. This is expected to make real improvements inter alia in the outcomes and life chances of children in care, and further reducing the numbers of teenage pregnancies (see 3.2.1). In Wales, the Rights to Action agenda has broadly similar aims for the 0-25 age range, and there 47 integrated children s centres or satellite units have been opened, while the community focused schools initiative is being rolled out across the country. Wales is developing an Inclusion Policy and Performance Framework to address all of the educational and training issues relating to disadvantaged groups. Across the UK there is a particular focus on enabling the voices of children and young people to inform policy, especially in the Youth Service in England, and in Wales, where WAG has made schools councils a legal requirement as well as promoting other aspects of pupil and community participation. The Welsh Assembly Government supports a young people s assembly for Wales and works with a wide range of external partners through a children and young people s Participation Consortium. Addressing equity in higher education is one of five strands in the Strategy of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, which seeks to: increase demand and opportunities for access; to clarify and simplify progression routes into higher education (including vocational routes); and to embed widening participation in the corporate policies of individual HE institutions. This is delivered through formula funding incentives to institutions, local Aimhigher partnerships, which bring together Universities, Schools and Colleges to promote higher 11

12 education to young people and their parents from communities and groups where HE participation has been low; and systems of financial assistance to students from low income backgrounds. In England, Universities are only permitted to charge higher level student fees if their arrangements for support for disadvantaged students satisfy the independent Office of Fair Access. To protect students and graduates on low incomes, full time undergraduate students are able to defer payment through a fee loan, provided on a non commercial rate of interest linked to the rate of inflation. Loans are only repaid when income exceeds a threshold level. It was widely feared, when higher student fees were introduced in England, that enrolments would fall. Although they did so in the first year (2006 entry) applications for entry in 2007 have returned to the long term growth trendline Scotland and Wales share the overall policy objectives of widening participation and addressing social exclusion in HE, and have broadly similar approaches to this. However, neither has chosen to charge student fees on the English basis and financial arrangements and incentives are different. However, from Academic Year 2007/08, universities in Wales and Northern Ireland will be able to charge fees on the same basis as in England, again subject to approval of plans to protect those on low incomes and from non-traditional groups. However, WAG is introducing a fee remission grant and bursaries to limit the maximum charge payable by Welsh domiciled students Measures to address gender aspects in education and training, Women are still substantially underrepresented in senior positions in the workplace, and continue to earn less than men in equivalent work, despite long standing equality legislation, and their consistently higher educational performance at all levels. In 2006, the Women and Work Commission Report Shaping a Fairer Future made recommendations to tackle job segregation and the gender pay gap, including provision of education and training and encouragement of apprenticeships for young women, where extreme segregation of young women and men is seen. One important outcome of studies of the Schools Census is the finding that, although girls in general perform better than boys in school, there is an identifiable group of less able working class girls whose performance is extremely low, and are at risk on a number of fronts The use of learning outcome based approaches for the definition and design of education and training objectives, standards and curricula, and their relevance to the needs of society and the economy, The UK has been developing an outcome based system, over many years, and the development of an outcome based methodology was a central element of the reform of vocational qualifications which produced the National Vocational Qualification system, and of the developing qualifications and credit frameworks. As a result, most VET qualifications, school qualifications and first degrees are described and assessed in outcome terms. The Sector Skills Councils (see 3.4.5) have a key role in defining learning outcomes in terms of employability. In Scotland all of the awards issued by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) are based on a learning outcomes approach. All mainstream qualifications are levelled and credited to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). All of the Higher National Certificates and Diplomas (HNC/Ds) have been going through a modernisation process to better meet the needs of employment sectors and the labour market. Similarly in Wales the achievement of learning outcomes is central to the development of the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW) Quality assurance systems, A distinctive feature of the UK s quality assurance regimes is their formal independence of Government. However, in response particularly to concern about the quality of education available to socially excluded groups and areas, and the broader shift to parental choice, a rigorous quality assurance regime, with strong targets and inspection processes, and with publication of results by institution, was created in the 1990s. 12

13 This system succeeded in improving quality, especially at the bottom end of the performance scale, so that the burden of inspection can be reduced now that quality expectations had been firmly embedded in the understanding of institutions and the general public. As a result, recent policy has focused on developing a more proportionate and, where appropriate, light touch approach, under which institutions which have demonstrated their ability to maintain high quality will be less frequently and rigorously inspected, concentrating support on the less successful. The strategy also seeks to encourage cooperation between institutions to provide mutual support. Three significant changes have taken place recently. Firstly, the simplification of inspection in England by the creation of the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, through a merger of the previously separate inspectorates for schools and for adult education and training, with the inspectorate for children s social services, reflecting the integration of services envisaged in the Every Child Matters Green Paper. Secondly, the creation of the English Quality Improvement Agency, as a non-departmental public body to undertake a national improvement strategy in further education and VET, implementing the proposals of the 2006 White Paper Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances, and the Leitch Report. The Agency s plan focuses on personalisation, responsiveness to employers, performance, quality and collaboration for mutual learning between institutions. Thirdly, the merger of ACCAC (the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales) with other organisations and the Assembly Government to form the Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills. The new department has a clear role in the quality assurance of providers and school curriculum, assessment arrangements, and credit. The Scottish Joint Funding Council is reviewing its policies on quality assurance and enhancement of learning and teaching in Scotland s colleges and universities with a view to promoting convergence between further and higher education quality approaches. The Framework for the Evaluation of Services and Organisations developed by HM Inspector of Education in Scotland is increasingly being adopted by other scrutiny bodies, particularly in Children s Services. The SQA Accreditation Unit is responsible for accrediting and quality assurance of Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) and SVQ Awarding Bodies, and is working towards expanding its role to include credit rating and leveling of non-sqa qualifications for the SCQF and quality assuring other non-sqa qualifications in Scotland. In January 2007, Success Through Excellence, the Quality Improvement Strategy for the whole further education and training system in Northern Ireland, was published. This provides a framework to enhance the quality of vocational education and training working in partnership with relevant agencies Developing learning partnerships with stakeholders (policy-makers at national, regional and local levels, social partners, learners and representatives of civil society). In March 2007 the Government published the English White Paper Every Parent Matters, which laid out the basis for a much closer working relationship between Schools and parents, including linking education for parents (both parenting skills and broader education) to the education of their children (see 3.2.1). Following the Government s Capability Review of the DfES, the Department published plans to: publish annual surveys of the views of learners, parents and employers, to ensure that the Department understands and acts on the issues that most concern them, to evaluate performance against those expectations, and to create arrangements to collect and act upon data and intelligence from partners, providers, employers and users on what is happening at local level, what works and what is getting in the way; Following the 2006 Leitch Review of Skills, Government has agreed to the creation of an employer-led Commission for Employment and Skills. This will merge the Sector Skills Development Agency and the National Employment Panel, and in England replace the Ministerially-led Skills Alliance. The aim is to secure a broad political and stakeholder consensus. The Welsh Minister for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills has announced the establishment of a Wales Board of the new Commission, while in Northern Ireland, the Skills Expert Group, established to advise on current and future skills needs, will be re-configured into the NI Board of the new Commission. 13

14 14 In 2005 the DfES published a Green Paper Youth Matters, inviting views on the development of out of school services for young people. 19,000 young people responded online, in writing and through focus groups with hard to reach groups. The result was Youth Matters: Next Steps, which laid out an implementation plan, including the creation of a Youth Opportunities Fund where young people play a key role in disbursing funds. Work is in progress to develop new agreements between central and local government and to develop partnerships between Local Authorities and the voluntary sector in this field. 3.2 Schools Increasing investment in and strengthening pre-primary education, The 2003 English White Paper Every Child Matters still provides the policy framework to ensure that local communities, schools, children s, health and social services work together to improve the lives, security and well being of children and young people from birth to 19, and ensure that every child, and especially the excluded and vulnerable, has the support they need to: be healthy; stay safe; enjoy and achieve; make a positive contribution; and achieve economic well-being The strategy involves close working partnership between all service providers, including public agencies, hospitals, schools, police and voluntary groups, to protect children and young people from harm and help them achieve what they want in life. It also aims to give young people and their families a greater say in issues which affect them individually and collectively. In England, the Sure Start programme contributes to this by providing integrated childcare, education, health and parental support to pre-school children, based on four principles, set out in the Government s Ten Year Childcare Strategy Choice for Parents, the Best Start for Children published in December 2004 : Choice and Flexibility - greater choice for parents in how they balance their work commitments and family life through enhanced parental leave and easy access to Sure Start Children s Centres for all Availability - flexible childcare for all families with children aged up to 14 who need it; and 15 hours a week free early education for all 3 and 4 year olds for 38 weeks a year, with 20 hours as a longer term goal Quality - high quality provision delivered by a skilled early years and childcare workforce, with full daycare settings professionally led and with a strengthened qualification and career structure Affordability - affordable provision appropriate to their needs with substantial increases in tax credit support In support of this Government has introduced legislation on childcare and maternity and paternity leave and pay. Achievements to April 2007 include: creation of over 1250 Sure Start Children s Centres, (reaching over 1M children); a free early education entitlement; a Foundation Stage curriculum for all 3- year olds; and a doubling of the number of childcare places since An evaluation in 2005 showed positive findings for most children and families, but emphasised the importance of: engaging with the most excluded and isolated families, and of outreach services. In Wales, 30 integrated centres have been created, part-time provision has been made available for all 3 year olds, and a Foundation Phase curriculum has been piloted for 3-7 year olds.: The Flying Start programme is designed for children aged 0-3 in disadvantaged communities, and offers free part-time quality childcare for 2 year-olds, parenting programmes, enhanced health visiting and Language and Play schemes. Other relevant strategies include the Basic Skills Strategy, the Parenting Action Plan, the Childcare Strategy, and the Play Policy Implementation Plan. In Northern Ireland, Sure Start was introduced in Northern Ireland during 2000/01. There are now 25 Sure Start programmes across Northern Ireland, reaching approximately 20,000 children under the age of 4 and their families. Expansion is planned over the next three years. In Scotland, A Curriculum for Excellence covers school and pre-school education.