The Edge Foundation have kick started a real debate about the underlying principles and philosophy of English vocational education. In their view whilst a lot of discussion has taken place regarding academic education less has explored with vocational education with it often being seen as secondary to academic education often jumping straight in to delivery rather than looking at the underlying principles.
This results in two challenges to the system. The first is that there is no consensus around what vocational education is for and so answers can vary widely – from vocational education as an elite route to professional careers, to vocational education as second chance provision for disengaged young people.
The second is that this fuels the state of constant revolution in the skills system that has been highlighted so well in reports like City and Guilds’ Sense and Instability, a direct contrast to the approach taken in established and successful systems of vocational education and training internationally.
The report breaks the issue down in to a number of key questions:
What is the purpose of vocational education?
a. What is vocational education?
b. What is vocational education for?
What should the relationship be between vocational and academic/general education?
c. To what extent should vocational education be integrated with or distinct from academic education?
d. Who is vocational education for?
How should vocational education be taught and measured?
e. What pedagogical approaches should be adopted in vocational education?
f. How should the success of vocational education be recognised?
Download the full report hereNext steps:
This first piece of work explores and opens up a wide debate, there are areas of consensus and some areas of key differences, the debate has helped to shape a second phase of questions which you can be involved in:
1. In no more than 100 words, how would you define vocational education?
2. How can vocational education best develop the broad transferable skills that will be needed as we progress through the fourth industrial revolution?
3. Should our approach to vocational education be one of (a) distinctiveness; (b) unification with general education (c) attempting to reconcile the two?
4. What is the right age for young people to begin to have access to vocational education?
5. What would be the key ingredients of a distinctive vocational pedagogy?
6. To what extent should the assessment of vocational education be based on: (a) equivalency to academic education; (b) distinctive measures; (c) a holistic baccalaureate?
You can submit your thoughts by email to onewton@edge.co.uk. We will continue to make key contributions available (with your permission) on the Edge website ahead of a second Big Debate to be held in Autumn 2018
