The government’s GCSE maths and English resits policy looks set to stay, as the education secretary revealed he would not be making any new announcements on the issue.
Damian Hinds appeared before the Commons Education Select Committee on Wednesday and was challenged on a wide range of policies including degree apprenticeships, T levels and the post-18 education review.
At present, the condition of funding for post-16 providers specifies that all students who have achieved a grade 3 (or D under the old GCSEs) must take the qualification again. The policy had been tipped to be overturned for 2017-18, but the change did not materialise.
In a request for an update on the DfE’s GCSE maths and English resit policy, committee chair Robert Halfon also asked the education secretary about whether he was looking at funding for the teaching the subjects in FE colleges.
Mr Hinds said: “I don’t have a new announcement to make on policy in that area right now.”
The chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers Mark Dawe said: “The government keeps telling us that employers are in the driving seat on skills and it is the employers who indicate by their choices for apprenticeship standards that are perfectly happy with the applied English and maths which functional skills offer.
“Money is extremely tight, so why continue to waste millions on a failed and costly policy? To support employers, functional skills for apprentices should be funded at the same rate as the classroom rate, especially with the introduction of the new criteria.”
‘Every time we get stonewalled’
Mr Halfon also asked if there had been any developments around the Conservative’s manifesto commitment to offer apprentices travel discounts on public transport.
Mr Hinds replied: “So this is something that the Department for Transport is looking at. I don’t have any new news to bring you today, but I do recognise that issue.”
In response, Mr Halfon said the issue has been raised with Hinds and his predecessor Justine Greening. He added: “Every time we get stonewalled about it. It was a manifesto commitment. Either it is going to happen or it has changed because we haven’t got the resources. But I think the public has a right to know what the policy is going to be.”
