In a transformation of the pre-university education system, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the introduction of an Advanced British Standard during his speech at the Conservative Party Conference on Wednesday.
The new qualification, which will come into effect in over a decade’s time, will integrate A-levels and T-levels, in an attempt to ensure “parity” between academic and technical education.
Mr. Sunak said that all students in England would be required to sit the Advanced British Standard, emphasising the importance of both English and mathematics up to the age of 18.
Additionally, he revealed substantial bonuses of up to £30,000 tax-free over five years for teachers specialising in key subjects.
Mr. Sunak said: “This will finally deliver on the promise of parity of esteem between academic and technical education.”
Students to Study 5 Subjects
“A-level students generally only do three subjects compared to the seven studied by our economic competitors. The Advanced British Standard will change that too, with students typically studying five subjects,” he said.
He added, “Thanks to the extra teaching time we are introducing, the great breadth won’t come at the expense of depth which is such a strength of our system.”
The new programme will not take effect immediately, with the government announcing that “pupils starting primary school this term are expected to be the first cohort to take the new qualification.”
That would set the timeline for the introduction of the new qualification to after 2034.
Teaching unions have reacted angrily, with Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT, the school leaders’ union, saying: “Today’s announcement shows just how out of touch this government has become with the teaching profession.
“There are so many immediate crises that schools are currently dealing with, from recruitment and retention, to crumbling school buildings and the lack of support for pupils with SEND [special education needs and disabilities].
“The government should be focusing on fixing those, not announcing yet another round of seismic changes to exams and qualifications.”
In the official announcement for the scheme, Mr. Sunak spoke about education as a “silver bullet” to help across sectors.
Mr. Sunak said: “Education is the closest thing we have to a silver bullet – it is the best economic policy, the best social policy and the best moral policy.
£600 Million in New Support
He said in the announcement: “We now need to build on this record by transforming post-16 education. The plan we have set out today – backed by an initial £600 million of new support – represents real, meaningful reform that will put technical and academic education on an equal footing and ensure that all young people leave school or college knowing the basics in maths and English.“The new Advanced British Standard will help spread opportunity and benefit students for generations to come, demonstrating our clear commitment to make the right decisions for the long-term future of our country.”
Warning over the lack of teaching supply, Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said in a statement: “We also support the principle of greater curriculum breadth in post-16 education as the current system is too narrow – at least partly because of previous government reforms which downgraded the status of AS-levels.
“However, while the principles of these proposals are good, the practicalities are daunting because of the severity of the teacher recruitment and retention crisis.
“There aren’t enough teachers to teach existing subjects, never mind extend teaching on this scale.”
Mr. Sunak’s promise of a £600 million funding boost for schools and colleges represents the government’s commitment to support teacher recruitment and help students get better grades in key subjects.
