1. Give young students experience of life skills and careers.
2. Replace all SATs with individual student profiles.
3. At 14 let students choose a pathway which matches their aspirations.
4. Ensure all vocational courses are taught in excellent facilities by teachers with relevant real world experience.
5. At 16 students can specialise further or change pathways.
6. Vocational degrees endorsed by employers.
Posted by: joy etheridge | 11.02.2009 04:39pm
Working as a youth worker now qualified I am aware of issues that affect young people. Yes they too often think that the National Curriculum and teaching is 'boring' by teachers who feel no real passion for their subject or are not allowed to express it and yes too many young people often leave and feel failures because they do not fit with the existing education system.Or they leave feeling that education has not provided them with the skills for life let alone employment.Youth workers see this disillusionment on so many young people's faces.
With "education,education,education" (Tony Blair) and pressure for 'skills for employment' what about all those young people which are excluded because they are individuals with potential that others do not recognise and do not fit into pigeon holes? As we to go into a recession we need our young people to bring forth creative and innovative ideas that are to grow from the scorched earth of global capitalism.
Young people need to be treated as individuals and not 'the problem', they needs have to be met. They are our future.Lets hear it for young people....let their voices be heard. Let them be a part of their communities, encouraged to get involved in lifelong learning skills. Education should be enjoyable....let us get real and not engage in further rhetoric
Knowing aspirations at 14
Posted by: susannah freyer | 02.03.2009 02:24pm
If only life & people were that simple. 'Let children choose their pathway at 14..or 16...'. I've been a careers adviser for many, many years & have worked with thousands of clients & students, of all ages & all educational backgrounds. Many have no idea 'which pathway' they want to take- even by the time they're 40. I didn't know till I was 25, when I did a postgrad in career guidance.
My own teenage son, despite having me for a mum- and having taken every psychometric test I can lay my hands on, has no idea whatsover what he wants to do/be. So he's staying in general education, taking A levels, despite not having much real interest in study. Similar story to many of my friends teenage children. I tried to encourage my son into an apprenticeship- but he then accused me of considering him 'thick and not university material!!
I totally support, and always have, the notion of parity of esteem/finance for vocational as well as academic education. But isn't this an artificial divide to some extent? What's a degree in Medicine or dentistry or civil engineering, if not vocational?
Many thousands of people choose one career whilst young- then burn out and retrain for another one in later life. Many others realise they can't earn their living doing what they love- so grit their teeth thru the day job and do the other in their spare time. Sometimes that can turn into a career choice, often not.
I could go on...