November 2002

Everyone’s talking about a Bac……

The recent shenanigans with A level and AS level examinations has led many to pose the question ‘Is it time to think about the introduction of a Baccalaureate in England?’ This question has been voiced not just within the professional education community, but also during the many interviews and debates on radio and television where the current crisis has been discussed. Ken Boston, the new chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, raised the possibility of an English Baccalaureate at the annual conference of the QCA in early October. Rumours abound that the Deputy Secretary of State, David Miliband, is interested in the idea of an English Bac and at the same conference spoke of Curriculum 2000 as “the first step” towards coherence, an improved vocational offer and towards addressing the problem of the narrowness of A levels. A first step implies reform to come.

Ken Spours and Ann Hodgson from the Institute of Education have been working on Baccalaureate models for over ten years. Their development work on the English Bac was well under way prior to this summer’s earthquake around grade boundaries. The English Bac model that Ken Spours and Ann Hodgson have developed “starting at 14, would aim to provide a transparent, flexible and rigorous system of education and training for all young learners. It would:

• consist of a series of interlocking diplomas from Entry to Advanced (the Bac) in which existing qualifications, blocks and units would be re-engineered to become components of the system rather than entities in their own right;
• embrace both full time and work based learning;
• provide a curriculum framework for the realisation of learning entitlement 14 – 19;
• build on the fragile gains of Curriculum 2000 and secure breadth of study and skill development at advanced level;
• promote high status vocational education and training by providing a link between apprenticeships and full time further education;
• provide curriculum space for innovative approaches to teaching and learning;
• be rigorous and holistic but also accessible and inclusive – it aims to challenge the brightest and to promote incremental achievement by slower learners;
• have a concept of ‘standards’ based on the whole programme of study and not just on individual qualifications components – thereby reducing the examination and assessment burden associated with current modular qualifications;
• be modular to promote flexibility, achievement and progression;
• be capable of evolution over time to meet the needs of future knowledge and skill demands;
• the English Baccalaureate system should culminate in a single high quality qualification - the Bac – to be taken at 19”.

Thus the model is very different from the International Baccalaureate with which some colleagues will be familiar. The English Baccalaureate proposes a curriculum framework that embraces levels 1, 2 and 3; that includes vocational and academic (specialist and general) learning; that offers system flexibility for the diversity of needs.

Everybody agrees that it is imperative that the current problems are quickly resolved, and the present system stabilised in the medium term. If we fuel the present panic, it will have negative consequences for learners, professionals and institutions. Nobody wants to see more change hurried in. The development of a coherent, inclusive, curriculum framework – whatever its name – should be granted the years of development time it needs. Nobody foresees, or wants, the dissolution of Curriculum 2000 in the near future. But the longer term – 8 years perhaps - might see the evolution of Curriculum 2000 into a more coherent, inclusive, challenging curriculum framework.

ACM Seminar Sponsored by Capita Education Services

Key Issues in Northern Ireland: the implications for managers

David Hunter
Chief Executive, FENTO

Monday 3rd February 2002
1.00pm – 4.00pm
Belfast, Northern Ireland

David Hunter will lead a seminar on key issues in Northern Ireland and the implications for managers on 3rd February 2003 and will discuss the review of further education, likely mergers and possible centralisation of services.

The seminar will be interactive and participative in style enabling colleagues to engage in debate and dialogue with the speaker.

A booking form for this seminar has been sent to you recently, if you wish to attend please complete and return it as soon as possible. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. For an electronic booking form, please email admin@acm.uk.com.

ACM MEMBERS’ HANDBOOK 2002-2003

You will by now have received the ACM members’ handbook for 2002-2003 and we hope that you have found it useful. Our intention in producing this handbook was to provide members with a guide to the services provided by the Association together with contact details and other information.

At ACM we appreciate your comments and would be grateful if you could email us with any suggestions for improvements or general comments on the content to saramccaffrey@acm.uk.com.