Green Paper, July 2005
This Green Paper has proposed a "personal
health MoT" for teens between the ages of 12 and 13 in
an attempt to offer increased support for youngsters. An Ofsted report on the subject suggested that only a small
minority of schools are working towards the Government's criteria
for pupil's emotional well-being.
A second proposal is for "Opportunity Cards" for 13
to 16-year-olds, which will be usable to pay for sports, drama
and other creative activities. The cards will be piloted in
eight local authorities before being given to every teenager.
The cards run on a credit system, being topped up by parents
and through good attendance and results. The cards can also
be suspended for bad behaviour reported by either the police
or teachers.
Furthermore the paper suggests creating a specific fund of £30,000
per council, which young people will be involved in allocating.
To read the Paper in full, visit: www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/youth
(TES, 22 July 2005)
Green Paper, February 2002
14-19: extending opportunities, raising standards aims to persuade all young people
to stay in education or training until 19 and to achieve higher
standards through a variety of academic and vocational courses
from age 14. In 2002, less than 75% of 17-year-olds in
the UK are in education, compared with about 95% in Germany
and Japan.
The aim was to give vocational qualifications parity with
academic awards. Students would be able to concentrate on four
core subjects - English, maths, communication technology and
science - from 14 - and choose between school, college and
workplace courses.
There would be a matriculation diploma - an overarching award
for academic and vocational courses, extra-curricular activities
and voluntary work - at three levels. Students would have until
they are 19 to achieve five A*-C or the equivalent.
In 2002, more than a quarter of all pupils finished compulsory
schooling without a single C or above grade at GCSE. In 2001,
157,000 15-year-olds failed to gain at least one grade C or
better. In 1997 the figure was almost 30%.
Critics fear that the plans for a new diploma for 19-year-olds
will discourage low-achievers because the minimum requirements
of five A*-C grade GCSEs or equivalent may be out of their
reach.
Key reforms
- English, maths, communication technology and science
to form the compulsory core of the 14-16 curriculum, along
with citizenship, RE, sex and health education and PE from
2004.
- Modern languages and design and technology no longer
mandatory
- Schools must offer an arts subject and a humanities subject
at key stage 4.
- GCSEs in vocational subjects from September. Also hybrid
GCSEs that combine academic and vocational strands, piloted
in 2002 in science
- A matriculation diploma (sometimes referred to as the
English Baccalaureate - see below) to be awarded at 19 based
on existing qualifications at three levels - intermediate,
advanced and higher. Available from 2007 at the earliest.
- A levels to have more demanding questions so highest
achievers can gain a distinction
- Bright teenagers may take GCSEs early or skip them and
go straight on to AS levels.
- An end to 16 as the "drop-out age" for many students
- New Connexions Service to provide advisers for students
to choose courses
(TES, 15 February 2002)
Education gained the most from the Chancellor's July 2002
Comprehensive Spending Review, with at least £10 billion
expected to go to schools, colleges and universities. All schools became eligible to apply for specialist school status and only those on the hit list of failing schools, defined by
Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), or those who are
unable to draw up effective plans to improve standards were to
be refused.
Failing schools would face closure under the reforms, and
city academies could open on their sites or serve their area.
According to Ofsted 50 of England's worst performing schools
closed during the period 2000-2002.
300 of the top-performing specialist schools were to be awarded
advanced status and receive extra money to allow them to second
teachers to poorly performing neighbouring schools.
All schools would receive extra direct funding amounting to
£50,000 for a typical secondary school. Tony Blair is
heralding the package as evidence of the Government's determination
to replace the "old one-size-fits-all comprehensive with secondary
schools that can develop the talents of each pupil".
(Independent, 15 July 2002)
Key points
- UK spending on education to rise from £53.7 billion
in 2002 to £68.4 billion in 2005/06
- Education's share of national income will rise from 5.1%
in 2002 to 5.6% in 2005/6
- Capital spending will increase to £7 billion in
2005-6, compared to £680 million in 1996-7
- From 2003 grants paid directly to schools will increase
by £10,000 for an average primary school and by £50,000
for secondaries
- A new ladder of schools will be headed by 300 "advanced
specialist schools", which will help to raise the standards
of the rest
- A leadership improvement grant of £125,000 per
year will go to 1,400 low-attaining schools if they agree
to take radical steps to improve - including replacing the
head if necessary
- Grants of up to £30 a week to encourage 16-19-year-olds
from low-income families to stay on in education are to
be extended nationwide.
(TES, 19th July 2002)
White Paper, September 2001
This Government White Paper acknowledged the progress that
has been made since 1998 to improve school standards,
especially in primary schools, and described some new proposals.
Investment in the national literacy and numeracy strategies
in primary schools continued along with the launch of
the key stage 3 strategy in secondary schools.
Targets were set for English, maths, ICT and science; the target for
English was that by 2004 75% of 14-year-olds should have achieved
level 5 or above by the end of key stage 3. The target for
2007 was 85%. The Government's aim was to publish national results
alongside new measures to show how much value each school
adds to pupils' results. Other proposals in the White Paper
included the expansion of the Excellence in Cities programme
to address the barriers to learning, a more flexible key stage
4 curriculum to give students greater choice, though with
a strong focus on basic literacy and numeracy. Secondary schools,
through deregulation, would have greater opportunities for
diversity of provision and innovative partnerships.
The full paper can be purchased for £9.75 from www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm52/5230/5230.htm.
A free summary is available from Prolog on 0845 60 222 60
(reference DfES 0589/2001).
White Paper, July 1997
The foreword sums up the Government's approach to raising
literacy standards as follows:
A sound beginning
We expect both the national campaign to improve literacy and
also the drive to raise standards in schools to make substantial
contributions to achieving the literacy targets.
- Each school will be advised to devote a structured hour
a day to literacy for all pupils from September 1998
- All schools will receive training
- The project will be managed by the Standards and Effectiveness
Unit of the DfEE, working with a national team of advisers.
- The national advisers will train local literacy consultants
- The literacy consultants will train all the primary schools
in their areas
- Training will be supplemented by each school devoting
an initial three training days in preparation.
.... 'In addition to that training for all primary schools,
a more intensive training effort along the lines of existing
literacy centres will start with the 10% or so of schools that
have the furthest to go to reach the target. That will run for
a period of 4 terms, and each year more schools will be added
so by the year 2002 up to 50% of the schools in the country
will have been given intensive support. It is likely that the
other 50% will have their own plans in place, but if necessary
they will also be given further support.
..... 'We recognise that the transformation of literacy standards
depends not only on effective teaching methods but also on
parents and other members of the community. The National Year
of Reading, beginning in September 1998 and so coinciding
with the introduction of the literacy hour, will play an important
part in raising expectations and changing attitudes to learning.
It will highlight the ways in which parents, employers, school
and local authority libraries and community organisations
can contribute to raising literacy standards. The parents'
contribution will be firmly linked to the work of schools
through our proposals for home-school contracts and homework
guidelines.'
The White Paper sets out the Government's vision and objectives
and outlines its strategy - the main focus is on raising standards
through target setting. It extends this principle, initiated
by the previous Government, to include target setting for
local authorities. The targets will be based on data generated
by the national tests for 7,11, 14 and 16 year olds. From
September 1998 individual schools will be required to set
their own targets for improvement, based on information about
similar schools. Legislation will give local authorities power
to intervene in schools that have problems; however, local
authorities will find that their funding is removed if they
fail to produce an adequate development plan. In contrast
to traditional White Papers it does not focus on measures
to be contained in legislation, but outlines a broad sweep
of reforms and a large range of initiatives in all areas of
school and pre-school education.
Key initiatives are:-
a) A structured literacy hour is recommended to be
taught in all primary schools from September 1998. The paper
acknowledges that reading standards have remained unchanged
since the war and outlines a programme designed to ensure
that 80% of 11 year olds reach the standards expected of their
age by the year 2002.
b) Education action zones - 25 identified areas of
low achievement where partnership bodies - involving schools,
business and the local authority - led by an adviser and an
action team are to be established to focus on improving educational
outcomes . 'Expert' teachers and experienced heads will be
encouraged into the areas. Homework clubs and literacy and
numeracy centres will be opened. The intention is to launch
the zones via pilot schemes.
The Paper also seeks to strengthen links between the Education
and the Health Service:
'Good education is a lifeline for children on the wrong side
of the 'health divide'. Schools and teachers are a vital source
of support for vulnerable young people. They are key in helping
to detect emotional and behavioural problems early. And in
fostering achievement they are helping to promote good mental
health.'
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