An influential committee of MPs has urged ministers not to defund courses that rival T Levels, like BTECs, days before the government is expected to publish the outcome of its long-awaited level 3 review.
The new House of Commons education committee has told the Department for Education “students should not be faced with the binary choice of A-levels or T Levels” following a last-minute evidence session yesterday.
In a letter to education secretary Bridget Phillipson and skills minister Jacqui Smith today, committee chair Helen Hayes (pictured) said: “It is clear that if post-16 education only offered A-levels or T Levels there would not be a sufficient and appropriate range of options for students with different abilities and prior attainment.
“Alternative forms of level 3 qualifications, including applied general qualifications and tech level qualifications, must remain a long-term option, to enable students who either do not wish to, or are not able to, study A-levels or T Levels to continue their education at level 3.”
The government is expected to announce the outcome of its review of level 3 qualifications, launched in July, next week.
Sector leaders hope the review will reverse the policy of the previous government to defund qualifications, like BTECs and applied general qualifications (AGQs), that rival T Levels in 2025.
Writing for FE Week in September, skills minister Jacqui Smith said she “recognised that we need to retain other qualifications alongside T Levels and A-levels”.
Smith added: “Where the review identifies the balance of learner and employer needs within a sector requires level 3 qualifications other than T Levels or A-levels, we will maintain the relevant qualifications. This may well be in areas that overlap with T Levels, which is a change from the approach taken by the last government.”
While the review was broadly welcomed, the government’s decision not to commit to a multi-year pause of defunding drew criticism for leaving colleges in the lurch over what courses will be available for incoming students in 2025.
The committee’s letter follows an evidence session in the House of Commons yesterday where college leaders and education think tank representatives were quizzed on level 3 qualifications reform.
Hayes said: “We heard compelling evidence of the importance of the availability of these qualifications in providing much needed flexibility and accessibility for all students, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“We hope ministers will listen to the evidence and retain popular, high-quality AGQs and BTEC qualifications which provide vital routes to success for many young people alongside A-levels and T Levels.”
Yesterday’s evidence session included James Kewin, deputy chief executive at the Sixth Form Colleges Association, Cath Sezen, director of education policy at the Association of Colleges, Ruth Perry, senior policy manager at Natspec and Simon Cook, principal of MidKent College who was representing the Association of School and College Leaders.
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