Advanced British Standard: Rishi Sunak’s A-levels replacement plan slammed as ‘pie in the sky’ by school leaders

Prime Minister unveiled major reforms to the post-16 education system in his party conference speech
Anna Davis @_annadavis4 October 2023

Rishi Sunak has announced plans for a single qualification “the Advanced British Standard” bringing together A-levels and T-levels.

Rishi Sunak said students will study five subjects rather than three under the planned shake-up of the post-16 education system.

The reforms would see all pupils study some form of English and mathematics until the age of 18.

But teaching leaders labelled the Prime Minister as “completely out of touch with reality” over the “pie in the sky” plans.

Mr Sunak told the Conservative Party conference: “We will introduce the new rigorous, knowledge-rich Advanced British Standard, which will bring together A-levels and T-levels into a new single qualification for our school leavers.”

The Prime Minister added that students in sixth-forms and colleges will spend more time in the classroom under the Advanced British Standard.

Mr Sunak told the conference: “First, this will finally deliver on the promise of parity of esteem between academic and technical education. Because all students will sit the Advanced British Standard.

“Second, we will raise the floor ensuring that our children leave school literate and numerate because with the Advanced British Standard all students will study some form of maths and English to 18 with extra help for those who struggle most. In our country no child should be left behind.”

The plan to replace A-Levels with the new qualification faced criticism from teaching unions over how the plan could be delivered.

Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said Rishi Sunak has missed an opportunity to “reset an education system in crisis”, saying the real problems facing schools are a severe shortage of teachers, excessive workload and low pay.

Conservative Party Conference 2023
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty on stage after he delivered his keynote speech
PA

He said: “Rishi Sunak is doubling down on pie-in-the-sky education policies. He is completely out of touch with reality.”

He added: “The Government’s long-standing failure to hit its own training targets, compounded by the haemorrhaging of teachers due to high workload and below inflation pay, made the Prime Minister’s call in January for more maths teaching an impossible dream.

“His government’s reduced training targets were again missed this summer. The Advanced British Standard, briefed out last month and confirmed today, is even more misconceived and extends his detachment from reality. There is no magic wand to create English and maths teachers in sufficient numbers to educate 11-16 year olds, let alone at A-Level too.”

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the Advanced British Standard is likely to remain a “pipedream” unless the shortage of teachers is addressed.

He said: “There is a great deal of merit in the idea of bringing technical and academic qualifications into a single qualification of an Advanced British Standard...However, 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 Kebede said headteachers tell him they are struggling to recruit and retain teachers in all subjects.

He added: “The recruitment and retention crisis is caused in the main by excessive workload and below inflation pay. This is a root and branch problem not solved by bursaries, ‘golden hellos’ and other Whitehall gimmicks. They cannot have a lasting impact on subject shortages, which have been badly behind year on year, when the fundamental causes of teachers leaving remain in place.

"The casual headline-seeking announcements of the Prime Minister are no substitute for serious planning to address the needs of all our 16-year-olds, whatever courses they take.”

The Government will also stop universities from enrolling students on courses that “do nothing for their life chances”, Mr Sunak said.

The Prime Minister told party members: “Labour pursued the false dream of 50% of children going to university and abandoned apprenticeships.

“This assumption that the only route to success was the university route was one of the great mistakes of the last 30 years. It led to thousands of young people being ripped off by degrees that did nothing to increase their employability or earnings potential.

“So we are stopping universities from enrolling students on courses that do nothing for their life chances. Under us no more rip-off degrees.”

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