By Pete Middleton
As I read my copy of The Times over the weekend, I discovered 40,000 more learners failed to achieve a grade 4 in English Language than last year. The long-term effects of the pandemic no doubt contributing to these high numbers even though the tests were back to ‘normal’ for the first time.
I have lost count over the years of the number of people who question the point of Functional Skills, and who don’t yet see it as a credible, viable alternative to the current system. In my view, what needs to happen next is for those in authority to make changes to a system which has lost its way. The process of retesting for the sake of retesting does not work. It is flawed.
Many learners are put off maths and English because they have a negative experience and then are forced to relive this experience until they pass. I’m sure we all know students who have developed anxiety about these core subjects.
A Functional Skills Level Two qualification is not to be taken lightly. Numerous times people have said to me that this paper is just as hard as a GCSE paper. I am confident that they cannot all be wrong in their views, and the truth is that the papers really are challenging.
When I first became involved in Functional Skills, the Level Two maths paper was very different from what it is now. I am sure an English specialist if you asked them, would give a similar response. It feels significantly more difficult with more elements of GCSE criteria being added at each reform.
Functional Skills are viewed by employers as more practical and based on real-life scenarios that you would find in the workplace. As we are preparing young people for the world of work, my suggestion would be that if after one resit of the GCSE exam a learner fails, they are moved towards Functional Skills. It does not need to be perceived as a lesser qualification. Rather it needs to be acknowledged as a suitable qualification that displays competence and skills. At no point should it be thought as a step down.
The visibility issue and credibility can only be enhanced by those in higher levels of the Education system. I worry about what will happen if no changes are made. Does it mean we will have the same numbers of GCSE failures next year?
My crystal ball is not working; however, I predict that history will repeat itself. GCSEs are not a one-fit all solution. Many colleagues in the Skills sector will have similar views, I’m sure.
I’d like to see a properly thought-out policy in further education that supports students to gain the key skills they need to progress in their career. If I’m making wishes, I’d love to see decision makers talking to staff and students about their experiences and what works to help us put in place a system that allows students to succeed.
