The two former prime ministers and 10 former education secretaries signed a letter supporting the “resumption” of education as the year-long investigation is completed. It recommends replacing the GCSE with exams with reduced exams to 16, digital skills are an integral part of the curriculum, 50 new campuses, laptops for each child, an army of undergraduate teachers and a significant investment in the early years. Key recommendations include the introduction of a British Baccalaureate, an equally rigorous but broader A-level degree that includes both academic and professional paths or a combination of the two. It will be based on the International Baccalaureate, a Level A alternative offered primarily to private schools, but tailored to the UK and could be adopted to replace the Highers degree in Scotland. Students studying for the academic degree program will take six courses, with a main focus on three, covering both the humanities and sciences as well as the modules on critical thinking, communication and creativity. The committee focuses on extracurricular activities, such as 10 yoga classes this year ADRIAN SHERRATT FOR THE TIMES
A 12-point plan for education
1 British Baccalaureate
It will offer wider academic and professional qualifications at 18, with a level of funding per student in both courses, and a limited set of exams at 16 to highlight the best in each child.
2 “Premium elective courses”
This should be offered to all schools for activities such as drama, music, dance and sports, as well as a National Citizen Service experience for each student, with volunteer and outdoor missions to ensure that the classroom activities enjoyed by most favored become available to all.
3 New Executive of Career Academies
These would be the elite technical and professional sixth figures with close ties to industry, reflecting the established academic sixth figures and a new focus on creativity and entrepreneurship in education to unleash Britain’s economic potential.
4 Significant boost in funding in the first years
Additional funding should go to the most vulnerable. A unique number of students will be given to each child from birth, to level the playing field before reaching school. Every elementary school should have a library.
5 Army of undergraduate teachers
Students would earn credit for their degrees by helping underprivileged students make up the difference.
6 Making the most of technology
A laptop or tablet for every child, greater use of artificial intelligence in schools, colleges and universities to personalize learning, reduce the workload of teachers and prepare young people for future employment.
7 Prosperity at the heart of education
An advisor should be placed in each school and an annual student welfare survey should be conducted to encourage schools to actively build resilience and not just support students as soon as problems arise.
8 Do your best in teaching
The position and reputation of the profession will increase with better career development, re-validation every five years and a new category of teacher advisors, which will be promoted within the classroom, as well as a new teaching apprenticeship.
9 A reformed Ofsted
Ofsted should work with schools to ensure continuous improvement, rather than through fear, and a new “school reference card” with a wider range of metrics, such as prosperity, school culture, inclusion and attendance, to unlock their potential. schools.
10 Best training
Teachers should be trained to identify children with special educational needs, with greater emphasis on inclusion and a duty in schools to remain responsible for the students they exclude in order to highlight each child’s talent.
11 new campuses
New campuses will be set up in 50 “cold spots” of higher education, including satellite wings in colleges for further education. In addition, fees and conditions in the FE sector need to be improved and a transferable credit system created between universities and colleges to boost stalled UK productivity.
12 A 15-year strategy for education
The strategy should be developed in consultation with business leaders, scientists, local mayors, civic leaders and cultural figures, putting education above short-term party policies and highlighting the best in our schools, colleges and universities. Those who choose the career-focused program will combine their courses, which could include existing professional qualifications such as Btecs or T-levels, with work experience. There would be an option for students to “mix and match” elements of both academic and professional programs to create the qualification that suits them best. All students would complete an extensive project, similar to a dissertation, community service and some literacy and numeracy skills by 18. The retirement age is 18, although many children change school at 16 or start apprenticeship or work-based training. The committee proposes that there is no longer a need for students to receive ten or more GCSEs, as is currently the case in many schools. Instead, they would take a limited set of exams in five core courses instead of GCSE, with ongoing assessment as well as online tests contributing to their grade. This form of assessment would allow children to move to the next level and be accountable to schools, but reduce the stakes and time spent on exams. Introducing the Times Education Committee Other recommendations include a significant boost to early-year funding, encouraging college students to teach underprivileged students, and providing a laptop or tablet for each child. The committee’s work was supported by Blair and the Major, as well as former education secretaries Ed Balls, Justine Greening, Baroness Morgan, Lord Blunkett, Charles Clarke, Lord Baker, Ruth Kelly, Barones Shephard, Barones Morris and Alan Johnson. Although not everyone supports every proposal, a signed letter calls on the government to “seriously consider its recommendations”, adding: “The pandemic has created a momentum of recovery and it is imperative that education return to the top of the political agenda for increase productivity and achieve the leveling agenda. “The committee stressed the importance of taking a serious, long-term approach to education, from the early years to school, to further and higher education and lifelong learning, to better prepare young people for the challenges they face. “The changing world of work, the stagnation of social mobility, the growing mental health crisis and new technologies mean that reforms are more important than ever to harness all the country’s talents.” The letter was also signed by a number of business leaders, cultural figures and Sir Paul Nurse, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist. Mr Blair, who has promised to make education “education, education” a priority as prime minister, told the commission: decade. “Education is a field where I will teach different things in schools in different ways. The whole idea of the examination system is due to a complete overhaul. “ Major said: “In recent decades, a great deal of time and energy has been expended in the debate over the education system – grammatical or integrated, private or public, academic or technical – rather than its quality. “Public education remains underfunded. “The size of the classrooms in the public sector remains very large and the teaching profession is no longer given the respect and social memory it deserves.” He said he would “urge the Ministry of Finance to define education spending as a capital investment and not as a daily expense”. Rachel Wolf, a former Downing Street education consultant who wrote the 2019 Tories election manifesto, said: “The tightness of the 16-19 curriculum is a monumental weakness of our education system. It’s not the way other comparable countries educate their children. It makes it harder for people to deal with the complexity of our world and reduces their choices in later life. “If the committee’s recommendations lead to a system that combines academic rigor with scope, then that would be a huge step forward.” Sir Peter Lampl, the multimillionaire philanthropist who founded the Sutton Trust, which aims to tackle educational inequality, said The times last month that levels A should be abolished because students specialize too early, saying: “I think the whole thing needs to be reformed. Are you better off doing seven different topics in the sixth format or three? Its funny.” Robert Halfon, chairman of the Commons Education Selection Committee, said: “The Department of Education has said it ‘can not embrace the world’, but that’s no excuse for shutting down radical thinking, especially after Covid. We need to have a serious discussion about the future of the curriculum and make sure that the skills have equivalence – a baccalaureate could make a huge difference in closing the artificial gap between academic and professional. “The Times Education Committee is coming up with important recommendations that I hope will spark a nationwide debate.” A spokesman for the Ministry of Education said: “We thank the Times Education Committee for its report and we always welcome new ideas and views from the field and education experts. “The ambitious education recovery program is already getting children back on track after the pandemic. Exams are the best and fairest way to assess what students know and can do and ensure that young people leave school or college prepared for the workplace and higher education ….
