The National Union of Teachers has urged the Government to end the academic and vocational divide by adopting a three-tier diploma system for 14 to 19-year-olds, writes Estelle Maxwell.
In “The Road to Equality”, a strategy document released last week, the union outlined its diploma structure. This would incorporate GCSEs, general and national vocational qualifications and A-levels with core skills in information technology, numeracy, communication, problem solving, team building and research.
It suggests the creation of three diplomas - access, foundation and advanced - which would span the current qualification structure. Sir Ron Dearing, chairman of the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority, is embarked on a similar quest to find a suitable 16-19 qualifications framework
