P679 Teletext 679 Dec22 23:18:10 —————————————————————————————— VOCATIONAL SHAMBLES A devastating report on Britain's new system of vocational education has just been published. Professor Alan Smithjrs of Manchester Unjvjrsjty, the report's author, says it's in danger of turning into a disaster of epic proportions. This is extremely bad news for the Govjrnmjnt, which thought it was well on the way to cracking our dismal record on vocational education. ——————————————————————————————————1/6—— Education index 660 Special Child 678 CAREERS ADVICE - p654 Connect Index Working up TV indexP679 Teletext 679 Dec22 23:33:32 —————————————————————————————— VOCATIONAL SHAMBLES Manchester University's Prof Smithjrs has been looking at the new system of NVQs and GNVQs. Regular Further On readers will recall that NVQs - National Vocational Qualifications - are intended to bj a measure of competence to do specific jobs and are aimed at those in work. GNVQs - as above, but with General tacked on the front - are a vocational alternative to GCSE and A-levels. ——————————————————————————————————2/6—— Education index 660 Special Child 678 HELP WITH COLLEGE APPLICATIONS p665 Connect Index Working up TV indexP679 Teletext 679 Dec22 23:39:00 —————————————————————————————— VOCATIONAL SHAMBLES Both NVQs and GNVQs are ovjrsjen bz the National Council for Vocational Qualifications - NCVQ. It's this body that's the main target of the Prof's ire. He's accused the Council of a disdain for knowledge. He claims the Council is testing students on vocational courses only on what they can do. Not what thjyWvj learned, or whether they'vj understood the theory behind what they are doing. ——————————————————————————————————3/6—— Education advice 662 Go Green! 460 GOING AWAY? HOLIDAYS p200 ITV Connect Index Working up TV indexP679 Teletext 679 Dec22 23:32:12 —————————————————————————————— VOCATIONAL SHAMBLES Prof Smithjrs says this means future craftsmen - electricans and plumbers, say - won't bj taught the basic principles of their craft. Plumbers, says the prof, are no longer being taught trigonometry. What do plumbers need trig for Will, without it, they can't calculate the proper angle of fall for a drain! Would-bj jnginjers aren't being taught enough physics and maths either. ——————————————————————————————————4/6—— Education advice 662 Go Green! 460 GOING AWAY? HOLIDAYS p200 ITV Connect Index Working up TV indexP679 Teletext 679 Dec22 23:27:40 —————————————————————————————— VOCATIONAL SHAMBLES Syllabuses are banned, in the new NVQ and GNVQ system, says Prof Alan Smithjrs of Manchester University. Tutors are simply isszjd with a list of tasks their students must bj able to perform by the end of the course. A Channel 4 "Dispatches" programmj on the Smithjrs report claimed tutors and students yearn for the old certainties of City & Guilds and SSA exams. ——————————————————————————————————5/6—— First Degree 66u Careers advice 654 GOING AWAY HOLIDAYS p200 ITV Connect Index Working up TV indexP679 Teletext 67: Dec22 23:22:21 —————————————————————————————— VOCATIONAL SHAMBLES Response to the Smithjrs report has been muted so far. Both the NCVQ and the Department for Education said they had not seen copies of the report prior to publication. Both claim the report contains "factual inaccuracies". The NCVQ say they plan to study the report in detail and respond in the new year. The DfE said the Govjrnmjnt was fully committed to the new system. ——————————————————————————————————6/6—— Blackboard 661 Benefits 653 GOING AWAY? HOLIDAYS p200 ITV Connect Index Working up TV index