The start of a new year always seems like the best time to make resolutions and plans for your business.
For NCFE, the start of 2020, in the aftermath of the general election is the perfect time for us to re-centre our focus and hit the ground running again with our #FullyFunctional campaign. Originally launched in April of last year, #FullyFunctional is our plea to the government to help create a level playing field for English and maths qualifications for learners aged 16-18.
At present, funding legislation dictates that any young person who achieves a grade 3 (grade D in the old system) in their GCSE English or maths exam has to resit the same exam until they pass. Research has shown however that of those who resit, only one in every four will achieve a higher grade, leading to a repetitive cycle of failure which is damaging to young peoples confidence and in some cases, mental health.
Learners who achieve less than a grade 3 at GCSE by comparison are offered alternative routes to achieve these qualifications through programmes such as Functional Skills, which offer a more skillsled, practical approach to learning which might better suit a learners individual learning style, as well as suiting employer needs.
NCFE has always been a firm believer that there is no one size fits all approach when it comes to education, which is why we believe that opening up these alternative options to all learners will help more young people to achieve their full potential and go on to achieve great things on their chosen career paths.
We asked the opinion of 2,000 members of the general public and 68% agreed that young people should be given alternative options other than GCSEs with 71% also agreeing that students should also be allowed to learn in a style that suits them. So, why are we telling you all this? The truth is, we need your help!
The North East is home to some fantastic businesses and the young people of today are our regions workforce of the future, but their progression is being limited by their lack of access to the qualifications which connect with their way of learning.
Thats why were looking for as many people as possible, from learners to teachers, and educational institutions to employers to get behind our campaign to help make the government sit up and take note so changes to the funding legislation can be made.
For more information and to join the #FullyFunctional movement, visit www.ncfe.org.uk/fully-functional.
