Adult learners doing entry-level courses in English and maths are far less likely to make progress during their studies than those doing level 1 or 2 qualifications, according to a new report released by the Department for Education yesterday.
The long-term survey of adult learners on Skills for Life courses was carried out for the Department for Education by a team of researchers from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, Kantar Public, and Alpha Plus.
It states that in terms of numeracy and literacy, “there was, and remains, a large group of adults who have particularly low skills”.
Learners on higher level courses were more likely to show progress between the start and end of their course, according to the report.
Some 61 per cent of those on level 2 English courses made progress in reading, compared to 44 per cent of those on entry-level courses. There was a similar gap in writing, with 70 per cent of level 2 students progressing, compared to 52 per cent of those on entry-level courses.
Stepping stone
It was not just English where the differences were found. The report says: “Maths learners on level 2 courses (74 per cent) and level 1 courses (72 per cent) were more likely to show progress in maths at the end of their course than learners on entry-level courses (33 per cent).”
The findings are consistent with the greater likelihood of level 2 learners “seeing their course as a stepping stone to further learning and their original Skills for Life course being part of an ongoing learning journey,” according to the report.
The DfE report concludes: “The independent assessment of skills showed a mixed picture, as not every learner made progress during the study.”
However, it adds: “not all learners shared the same reasons for attending courses, and the desire to improve their skills was not necessarily their primary objective.”
The publication of the report coincides with new guidance published by the government yesterday on the subject content for functional skills courses in English and maths.
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