THE wonderful presentation, “Learn from history or be doomed to repeat it” (FE Focus, February 7), hit a mirthful and sad chord with me in respect of the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative and associated clones in relation to costs (not only financial) and desired outcomes (putting people into work and enhancing skills).
In the same decade as TVEI the Certificate of Pre-Vocational Education was launched with a wave of publicity and promotion, only to decay and die over a few tortured years with very little evidence of success. Some cynics said that CPVE stood for “Could Prove Very Expensive”. That turned out to be the case. Hopefully, history will not repeat itself.
Len Parkyn
Head
Cherry Trees FE centre
104 Lyndhurst Road
Brighton
