Following the government’s proposals to introduce an Advanced British Standard (ABS), Edge recently released new polling – in partnership with Public First – outlining public attitudes towards a baccalaureate-style 16-18 education system. On April 22, we hosted a webinar to share the key findings. The results suggest that the Advanced British Standard is a popular proposal with the public, with respondents feeling that the current system fails to adequately prepare young people for the future. Most would like to see greater emphasis on developing skills for life and work.
To make further headway, we welcomed four exceptional speakers to discuss the issues in depth. Chaired by journalist and campaigner Fiona Millar, panellists were Faiza Khan MBE (Executive Director, Corporate Affairs & Foundation, City & Guilds), Corrienne Peasgood OBE (President, Association of Colleges), Gareth Conyard (CEO, Teacher Development Trust) and Olly Newton (Executive Director, Edge Foundation).
Reflections on the polling
Opening the panel discussion, Olly Newton noted that the poll results reflect and validate much of the work Edge has been championing over the past two decades – in particular, the emphasis employers place on technical and transferable employability skills. Corrienne Peasgood, meanwhile, was delighted by public support for vocational and technical qualifications. However, she warned that aligning vocational education with academic-style assessment (the current trend) fails to acknowledge the distinct value offered by vocational routes. She argued that the drive for parity of esteem sometimes comes at the expense of genuine skills development.
Faiza Khan noted that the latest polling reflects a similar one conducted by City & Guilds in 2022. This found that almost half of young people felt their education had not equipped them for the world of work. She argued that (among other issues) dissatisfaction with work experience, access to digital learning and employment rates suggest the need for a more flexible, employer and learner-led system; one that permits learners to mix and match academic, vocational and tech pathways.
Finally, Gareth Conyard expressed scepticism about the ABS – less with idea of a baccalaureate-style approach, than with the current approach to implementation. The education sector has seen many attempts to improve parity between academic and vocational pathways. However, without collaborative, long-term policy development, Gareth predicted that the ABS could be another disruptive, high-cost announcement that fails to achieve the desired outcomes.
Achieving parity between academic and vocational pathways
Prompted by Fiona, the panellists offered their insights on how to bridge the divide between academic and vocational while maintaining the practical nature of vocational pathways.
Faiza highlighted the importance of building awareness and understanding of different educational options from Early Years, particularly in disadvantaged communities. Olly agreed, adding that we could provide more opportunities for students to blend academic and vocational pathways through real-world learning and employer engagement – rather than simply funnelling them into narrow academic tracks.
Gareth called for greater flexibility for students to change pathways and try different options, as well as addressing the challenges posed by assessment-driven systems that discourage exploration and experimentation. Finally, Corrienne highlighted the need to change the language around vocational and technical pathways. Both parents and young people, she argued, need to hear the benefit of non-academic qualifications in supporting economic growth, addressing skills gaps in key sectors, and leading to well-paying careers.
Learning from the past
Olly suggested that learning from past initiatives, such as 14-19 Diplomas, could help the sector avoid reinventing the wheel. Again, he noted the importance of a long-term approach to transforming education. Greater collaboration, and a move away from the current competitive, market-based approach, would also help.
Expanding on this, Corrienne said we must carefully consider whether collaboration is local authority-led – almost dictated to schools and colleges – or more of an organic, naturally occurring process through existing groups. She cautioned that assessment demands and administrative burdens should not undermine the intended benefits of reform, as happened with 14-19 Diplomas.
Addressing capacity and teacher burnout
The panellists also touched on the practical issue of capacity in the sector. Corrienne pushed for a longer-term, harmonised approach to teacher pay and conditions. She pointed to current pay disparities between schools and colleges and how these undermine efforts to create a cohesive system.
Noting the severity of the teacher recruitment and retention crisis, Gareth stressed the emotional toll that constant reforms have had on teacher morale, warning that policymakers often fail to consider the impact of this on the workforce. While Olly acknowledged these challenges, he noted the enthusiasm and innovation already present in many schools and colleges. A gentler, approach, supported by robust policies, funding, and professional development could, he argued, solve many issues.
Overall, the panellists agreed that some schools and colleges are already trailblazing brilliant project-based learning and interdisciplinary approaches. However, these practices require systemic support and policy changes to enable wider spread adoption. Whether or not current consultations lead to the ABS being delivered as proposed remain opens for debate. However, as the new polling suggests, and as our panel agreed, it’s clear that rebalancing technical, vocational and academic pathways is now a priority in the public consciousness. And while a paradigm shift towards longer-term policymaking is needed, public awareness of the issue is unlikely to change any time soon.
Want to learn more? See the full recording of our webinar or read the headline findings from the latest polling.
