Further and Higher Education

Liberal Democrats Online Policy Consultation Group

Current situation

Participation at 17 is below the OECD average with 86% of 16 year olds and 76% of 17 year olds in recognised education and training. Around 4% of 16 year olds with Level 2 qualifications (mainly 5 GCSEs at A-C grade) and 10% of 16 year olds without Level 2 do not stay on at 16. Participation at 17 falls because young people gain a Level 2 in vocational qualifications and find a job or drop-out because of a de-motivating curriculum or a lack of desire to study for university entry. Liberal Democrats want to create a step change in 14-19 participation and achievement integrating the academic, vocational and apprenticeship pathways.

Liberal Democrats have supported the conclusions of the Tomlinson Report which called for far greater flexibility in the delivery of 14-19 education through a framework of diplomas. The diplomas would incorporate all existing exam courses, including GCSEs, A-levels, vocational courses and apprenticeships, in a common framework. But the Tomlinson Framework must also be extended to incorporate 14-19 Apprenticeships and the new 14-19 Foundation Learning Tier to help those on track to achieve below Level 2 by 19 to achieve and progress. Successful completion of courses and training should be rewarded with credits that could be accumulated and stored and put towards the completion of a particular level of diploma and pupils encouraged to mix and match vocational and academic courses.

Currently, tuition and off-the-job training costs are fully funded by the taxpayer up to Level 3 for 14-19/20 year olds. There are no fees or loans for individuals or employers for these costs. At present, 16-19 year olds in full-time education and unwaged training receive a mix of Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit and Education Maintenance Allowances. Learner support is available to part-time students but funds are limited and income support is available in exceptional circumstances for young people estranged from their parents and facing hardship.

The government has signalled its intention to increase participation in recognised education and training of 17 year olds from 76% in 2005 to 90% in 2015 by voluntary measures. In order to move from 90% to 100% participation in 2017, the government intends to raise the statutory learning leaving age to 17 in 2013 and to the 18th birthday in 2015. A statutory right to day release is likely to replace the current statutory right to study for 16-17 year olds. Work-based learning including apprenticeships up to age 19 will be publicly funded and employers offering part-time recognised training at the workplace might be eligible for wage compensation as a grant under Learning Agreements.

Questions:

1. How can we increase 16-19 participation and achievement?
• Should we introduce targeted intervention in early years education to combat habitual and perpetual under-achievement? Should we consider:
  • the role of parents?
  • identifying under-achieving children at an early age?
  • higher spending on early years education to raise a child’s academic aspirations along with raising their achievement?
• Should we continue to support the full implementation of the proposals of the Tomlinson Report?
• What should be the role of 14-19 apprenticeships?
• What provision should be offered to young people on track not to achieve Level 2 by age 19?

Issues to consider

Increasing progression into Higher and level 4 education at any age - full-time or part-time - is a priority for the Liberal Democrats. Participation in Higher Education in the UK is to a great extent determined by a person’s social class or ethnicity. Education has been shown to be the most effective route to social mobility; education increases social justice and encourages active citizenship. However, in 2005 sixteen of the nineteen Russell Group universities took a smaller percentage of state school entrants than in the previous year.

We need to consider how the adult and HE systems together widen opportunity instead of entrenching privilege. We should consider issues beyond merely widening access to existing courses and institutions. How can we provide the opportunity for genuine choice to young people and adults – as 70% of the workforce in 2020 will be people who have already left full time education today.

Questions:

2. Developing a coherent 14-19 phase. How can we achieve greater co-ordination of provision between employers, schools and colleges?
• How can we remove inherent barriers to participation in the 16-19 education and skills system?
• Is there a case for a statutory employer training levy for 14-19 work-based learning and apprenticeships?
• Should we create a new Youth Allowance for the financial support of all 16-19 year olds?
• Could the transfer of 16-19 LSC funding to local authorities:
• provide a single agency responsible for planning provision for a post-Tomlinson system of Diplomas?
• help to create a seamless funding system across the 14-19 phase so that funding follows the learner rather than funding following the school, college or work-based learning providers?
• create a single body – the local authority – to build on the monitoring and enforcement role in the implementation of the learning leaving age to 18?
3. How can we encourage a wider group of children to stay on at school and go on to university education?
• Should universities extend their outreach programmes to lower age groups, particularly in areas with low higher education participation?
• How can we ensure fair access for people from different schools to all institutions and courses?
• Should we provide greater flexibility in HE provision such as part-time study, modular courses, with portable interim qualifications?
• Should we raise the school leaving age to 18?