Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Labour conference: Ed Miliband to announce big educational reforms (but won’t mention GCSEs)

Each day of the Labour conference covers a different aspect of Britain that Ed Miliband wants to rebuild, and tomorrow’s theme as the Labour leader gives his speech will be rebuilding the education system. Miliband will announce plans for a new Technical Baccalaureate which starts at 14 and runs until 18. The idea is to target those children who will not be going to university, but who, according to Miliband, do not currently have the same road map for their future as those going down an academic route. Describing these students as the ‘forgotten 50 per cent’, he will say:

‘In the 21st century everyone should be doing some form of education up to 18, not 16. That gives us the chance and the obligation to develop a new system from 14 to 18, in particular, for vocational qualifications. I want a curriculum that is rigorous and relevant with English and Maths up to 18, not 16, culminating in a new technical baccalaureate at 18 based on gold standard qualifications.

‘I want ours to be a country where kids aspire not just to go to Oxford and Cambridge but to excellent technical colleges and elite vocational institutions. We need to do what we haven’t done in decades: build a culture in our country where vocational qualifications are not seen as second class certificates but for what they can be – a real route on and up to quality apprenticeships.’

The ‘Tech Bacc’ will offer a route for a ‘gold standard’ qualification at 18 like the well-respected City & Guilds certificates. It will not replace A-levels, but students will choose at 16 whether to go down the vocational route or not. They will all be required to take some form of Maths and English up to the end of their schooling.

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