* Natalie Bennett: “It’s time we recognised that education is a social good, not a commodity, and scrapped university tuition fees.”
* Vix Lowthian: “It’s crucial that we move away from a narrow focus on academic qualifications like A-Levels to a system which values vocational education and skills training.”
The Green Party has called for a complete overhaul of the education system as A-Level students collect their results.
With the number of pupils achieving the top grades falling, Greens say the Government must give schools the funding they need to make sure all pupils succeed whatever their background [1].
Vix Lowthian, Green Party Education spokesperson, said:
“Pupils across the country have worked incredibly hard for these results - and those who have got the grades they hoped for deserve huge congratulations.
“But it’s important to remember that for many, the current one-size-fits-all assessment regime doesn’t work and forces educators to teach to the test, rather than giving pupils a fully-rounded understanding of their subject.
“It’s crucial that we move away from a narrow focus on academic qualifications like A-Levels to a system which values vocational education and skills training. A-Levels aren’t for everyone, and we have a serious skills gap in this country - it’s time we gave further education the respect and funding it needs.”
Lowthian, a teacher in the Isle of Wight who recently called for the head of Ofsted to resign after he called the island a “ghetto” with “inbreeding”, added:
“The attainment gap between richer and poorer pupils is still a pressing worry - and this government must pledge to do far more to address it. A starting point would be to restore 2010 levels of funding in real terms for schools, ensuring it is fairly distributed between local authorities.
“Unpredictable AS Level results, meanwhile, are a consequence of the government’s constant chopping and changing of the testing regime and illustrate the damage done to young people’s futures by playing politics with education.”
The Green Party also wants to see university tuition fees scrapped and maintenance grants restored to stop education becoming a commodity.
Natalie Bennett, Green Party Leader, said:
“It’s great to see a big increase in the number of pupils getting into university. This is a real opportunity to think about what the purpose of those years is, or should be.
“A university education shouldn't be just a stepping stone to a career, it’s an opportunity to broaden horizons, develop critical thinking and learning skills, and challenge your perspective on the world.
“That’s why it’s worrying to see young people being forced into regard it as a financial investment, betting on whether the boost to their future earnings will make the tens of thousands of pounds of debt worthwhile.
“This is not only damaging to the community of scholars that universities should be, but it is in many cases self-defeating, for our fast-changing labour market offers few certainties for courses narrowly focused on vocational learning.”
It’s time we recognised that education is a social good, not a commodity, and scrapped tuition fees.
Notes:
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-37107004