FS News June 22

Our bi-weekly look at the world of Functional Skills.

This week we have stories that include a video explaining Functional Skills for the deaf, news (and a special offer) about the 6th National Diploma Conference, Guroo 2.0 coming September, Functional Skills experts wanted and news about expired qualifications on the National Accredited Database.

6th National Diploma Conference announced. Our friends at Delivering Diplomas Magazine have told us about their next conference in Birmingham on Monday 11th October. Click here for a "Friends of Guroo" special discounted rate.

Functional Skills video for the deaf. Here's something we spotted on YouTube which some will find incredibly useful. A 2 minute information video about Functional Skills signed for the deaf. Click here to link to the Deafpage video and channel. We also spotted a video about Foundation Learning produced by a training agency in Stoke. Here it is.

Are you a Functional Skills expert? The Guroo guys will be launching a "Guroo Associates" programme next term. Guroo Associates will be contracted to help Guroo subscribers with any aspect of Functional Skills as part of the Guroo Active Engagement Programme. If you're interested in what we're doing, in the first instance just drop Jonathan Wells a line at jwells@guroo.co.uk Over the summer we'll be in touch with you about our plans.

Guroo 2.0! The development to deliver Guroo 2.0 is well underway with a planned launch date of September. The Guroo guys have advised that it's still possible to buy now at the current price, take a free subscription period until September and thereby get Guroo 2.0 without paying any more. If this sounds like a deal for you, simply call Guroo on 0191 305 5045.

Changes in priorities (2). We know that Adult Literacy and Numeracy for under 19's is definitely going as a funded qualification but did you know that if you go to the national database, search qualification level 2, select GNVQ, then current and expired qualifications then click search at the bottom of the page and every one of the 145 level 2 GNVQs has expired! As always, if you know better or indeed know more, let us know (in confidence).

Functional Skills resources from Guroo

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Functional Skills Newsletter 8 June

Our bi-weekly look at the world of Functional Skills.

This week we have stories that include support for the IT Diploma from IBM,

The IT Diploma gets IBM support. A piece in this weeks Sec-Ed on page 7 written by the General Manager of IBM Europe. What caught my eye was the nicely rounded last paragraph phrase "don't just tell me about this idea, but show me how the idea is useful and how it is applied". Very functional indeed!

47 become 65. We said that accreditation would speed up and it has. The Ofqual site now lists 65 accredited Functional Skills qualifications and we even spotted another few more being offered by a collective of smaller awarding bodies here led by the IMI.

More support for the basics from Wales. A piece in the TES Welsh edition reports that "Employers are extremely concerned that a significant proportion of young people still leave 11 years of compulsory education without being able to read and write to the standard required for employment or to undertake simple arithmetical calculations" Any thoughts on where this may be heading?

Did you know that the top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 did not even exist in 2004? One of the many assertions in this 5 minute youtube video. We can't vouch for the veracity of the content but it raises some interesting points about how fast things change.

Changes in priorities (1). Last month we asked for your opinions on post-election changes. Becta and QCDA had already been tagged for deletion so no surprises there, but we're hearing indications that the next area in the spotlight may be ... qualifications! Are there too many, what are the cost implications, who is in the firing line? Lets keep this one going - your contributions very welcomed either on or off the record!

Functional Skills resources from Guroo

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The full ofqual story

New science GCSEs 'not tough enough', says watchdog

Page last updated at 00:18 GMT, Wednesday, 16 June 2010 01:18 UK

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By Katherine Sellgren
BBC News education reporterThe new papers were meant to raise standards in science

Examinations boards have been ordered to redraft new science GCSE papers because they are not rigorous enough.

The exams watchdog, Ofqual, said the new papers - designed to address concerns that science exams had become too easy - had "not gone far enough".

Last year Ofqual said science GCSEs taken in 2007 and 2008 had contained too many multiple choice papers and had failed to challenge the brightest.

Improvements have already been made to this year's paper, Ofqual said.

Ofqual previously ordered an overhaul of GCSE science qualifications and immediate action was taken to toughen them up for students sitting them last year and this year.

'Disappointed'

Now the watchdog says the new-look qualifications, due to be introduced in autumn 2011, have been sent back to the exam boards for more work.

Chair of Ofqual Kathleen Tattersall said: "I look forward to receiving improved GCSE science qualifications that meet our requirements.

"Schools are expecting detailed information about the new qualifications in time to prepare for first teaching in September 2011.

"In the meantime, improvements have been built in to the current version, and the regulators will make sure that grades awarded this summer are appropriate and fair."

Ofqual is baring its teeth after the qualifications and curriculum agency, the QCDA, was scrapped by Education Secretary Michael Gove.

A spokesman for the exam board OCR said: "OCR is naturally disappointed that Ofqual did not accredit its GCSE science specifications.

"They were designed by experienced syllabus developers in close contact with the science community.

"However, given that they were built to QCDA criteria, this ruling clearly indicates that Ofqual had major problems with its partner quango - and that the government was right to scrap it.

"OCR trusts that Ofqual will now reach a new level of transparency about what is required from awarding bodies and will start work on amending the syllabus immediately."

Single exam board

A spokesman for the exam board AQA said: "We are addressing the issues that Ofqual has raised, and will be re-submitting our specifications for accreditation, whilst maintaining the innovations that teachers and subject communities have told us that that they value.

"Teachers and students can be assured that these new specifications will be ready in time for first teaching in 2011."

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: "This latest development only highlights the inefficiency of having several awarding bodies struggling to interpret the requirements of the regulator, Ofqual.

"The government continues to emphasise the importance of financial efficiency due to the economic climate.

"If this is the case, ministers should be giving serious consideration to creating a single awarding body, firmly located within the public sector and fully accountable for its actions.

"This will ensure greater consistency in the qualifications system as well as providing better value for money."

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "Ofqual's actions to investigate the new science GCSEs confirm that pupils, parents and employers can be confident that all other GCSEs continue to uphold high standards."

Ofqual establishing it's authority?

Reports this morning that ofqual are having a go at exam boards over easy to pass GCSE Science (featuring too many multiple choice questions) have surfaced.

My feeling is that this is a sign of things to come and that rigour will be the new buzzword for ofqual as they hold the line they have created in functional skills for everything else that comes before them.

Functional Skills - in sign language

I found a great link on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9o3V-DJ8LA&feature=related

It's a description of Functional Skills signed in clear and straightforward language.

off on holiday

It's 25 years since Mrs Wells became Mrs Wells and to celebrate that auspicious occasion, we're off on a round the Canary Islands cruise leaving dogs, cats and kids in charge of house and cars.

So the Functional Skills blog will resume in a couple of weeks.

FE Colleges out for themselves

I've long argued that too many things are done for the benefit of the college rather than for the benefit of the students and indirectly for the benefit of the employer and a new survey seems to endorse this.

In the TES this week.

Employers trumped by sector on training

Further Education | Published in TESS on 21 May, 2010 | By: Joseph Lee

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  Further Education

Private industry’s investment in training is many billions of pounds smaller than claimed and dwarfed by public-sector spending, new research reveals in a forthcoming report.

A study by the UK Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning calculated the total expenditure by employers at £16.2 billion, far lower than industry claims of £39 billion. It excludes the cost of employees’ time for training, which accounts for the difference.

Total Government spending, including its funding of FE, training public- sector employees and £3.7 billion of tax relief for employers, comes to £25.5 billion, in excess of 50 per cent more than the private sector.

If the amount spent by the voluntary sector and individuals is added, the total spent on adult learning rises to £55 billion, or 3.9 per cent of GDP.

The figures also suggest that the public sector invests in training at almost twice the rate of private industry, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of expenditure on skills by employers, while only being responsible for 22 per cent of workers.

Individuals should receive tax relief for training along with businesses, the inquiry recommends, suggesting that older people or those in lower skilled jobs could be targeted in particular. And it suggests that the tax relief for businesses should be tied to educational targets on participation and qualifications, in recognition of the support from public funds.

Susan Anderson, director of education and skills at the Confederation of British Industry, said that it was only right for employers to count the time spent training off the job. And she rejected suggestions that business contributed too small a portion of Britain’s investment in training.

She said: “Employers are spending a lot of money on training their workforce. They spend as much as they need to spend for their specific needs. What’s important isn’t how much is spent, but the outcome - which is a skilled workforce.”

The CBI would not support extending tax relief for training in the current fiscal circumstances, Ms Anderson said, nor introducing targets for businesses that currently benefit. She said productivity was a better measure of success than qualifications.