Industry News
Teenage education could 'be damaged'
Posted on 24th April 2008
MPs have warned that the creation of two new departments for education could damage the schooling of children aged between 14 and 19, the Guardian has reported.
Currently responsibility for education is split between the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Children's Plan. However it has been observed that neither department has a lead role in the education of 14 to 19-year-olds, pupils that will be taking Sats, GCSEs and A-levels.
The Commons school select committee said: "The problem with joint responsibility is that it might mean no effective responsibility, with each part of the system doing its own work but with no one ensuring that it does all add up to coherent policy and actions," the Guardian reported.
Last week, the Edexcel exam board criticised a government initiative to replace A-levels with more practical diplomas, saying that the diplomas may be too demanding for students and that teachers had not been provided with enough training.
Director of Edexcel Jerry Jarvis told the Guardian that students could be left with "worthless" qualifications unless flaws were immediately addressed and corrected.