Policy Forest for FE 2021 White Paper
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An overview of the issues highlighted by the 2021 FE White Paper using 3 lenses. The paper itself, the reaction from FE bodies and our view from an Architecture of Participation perspective
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Policy Forest for FE 2021 White Paper
- 1. PolicyForestforFE after2021 White Paper PolicyContext SystemPriorities Issues Government FE Bodies AoP PolicyContext Previouspoliciesnot meetingperceived needs Covid-19Pandemic Brexit Skillsshortages Climate Change a) Economic competitiveness, b) Recognitionof FE havingcrucial role in supportingthe economy. c) Skillsforjobs d) Ministerial control e) HigherLevel Technical Qualifications f) Employer influence g) Lifelong Learning (Guarantee) and careerssupport h) Qualityof teaching i) Reformof funding AoC, ETF LWI,WEAWhile the largestsector- representative bodies have responded,the focus of Policy responsestothe White Paperand otherkeypolicy documents hasbeen on the needfor higherlevelsof Government investmentinpost- compulsoryeducation and otherissuesof finance.Inwider policycontextssuch as COVID-19,Brexit, Climate Change and Skillsshortages,the national bodiestend to identifyissues rather thantaking widerviews. Eachof the national bodies has beenreactive and theyhave yetto advance a broad view of how post- compulsoryeducation addresseswider issuesordevelopsits remitbeyondthe constraintsof Governmentpolicies and funding. Policy inthe sector has beendrivenby the twinconcernsof Finance andreturn on investment since 1980 and through reportsfromFoster (2005) and Leitch (2006), butthere has beennoserious attemptto incorporate learner and practitioner agencyfromthe sector,nor to envisage how the use of digital technologies move frome- enablingcurrent practicesand processesto transformation. Withthe current issuesfacingthe UK there isno considerationof how the sector meets challengesbeyond those facingthe manufacturingsector (thisneedsalinkto AoP?) Current System Despite extensive Government interventionto manage the FE and Skillssector to create provision meetingthe needsof the economyand The current systemis seenasbeingable to provide forthe needs, witheachof the national bodies emphasisingthe importance of their Withthe current focuson providersas “corporations” focused, substantivelyon employerneedsin the manufacturing
- 2. employers,there remainsa Government perceptionthat the sectorneedstobe employer-ledandthat the primarypurpose of FE providersisto provide learners,atany age,withthe skillsto meetemployerneeds. At a systemlevel,itis proposedto workfor parityof esteemfor higherlevel vocational qualifications with academicdegrees. Fundingandaudit processes will be streamlined. constituencies.The responses have not beendrawntogether inways thatmight enable the different agenciestomove beyondtheircurrent reactive stancesthat are ledby Government. sector,othersectors, more activelybased incommunities,such as Care,Health, Culture,Agriculture, Hospitality,Catering and educationare not mentioned considered.There is an urgentneedto move beyondthe currentfocus of policyandfundingto considerthese wider issuesalongwith transportand infrastructure aswell as climate change. Institution Providerswill be linked more closelyto employersthrough Chambersof Commerce and otherbusiness representative bodies and be assessedon the waysin whichtheyare meetingemployerneeds throughLocal Skills ImprovementPlans with Regional Forato be considered/developed, adoptingthe Irish model. Governance isnot mentionedinthisWhite Paper. Institutions are inherentlyvaluable in theircurrentforms, despite reductionsin fundinganditis their managers,ratherthan theirworkforce or learnerswhowill lead providersintheir relationswith employersandtheir representative bodies.Inthe lightof the pandemic, provisionwillremain focusedonface to face teachingwith elementsof digital learningaddedto local offersand added-intostaff roles and requirements. Learners Learnersare modelled as consumersandthe proposed Lifetime Skills Guarantee reinforces thismodel,with learners providedwithloan guarantees equivalentto fouryears of post-18 Learnersare the primaryfocusof the servicesprovidedby collegesandother providers,butthe focusis onlearnersas consumersorservice users.The role of
- 3. education from2025 onwards.Nomentionof “StudentVoice”or acknowledgementof learneragency. Learnersto be encouragedto undertake highlevel technical qualifications, reduce emphasison highereducation throughdegrees. providersin supportinglearners intoemploymentisa priority. Teaching Improve the qualityof the teachingworkforce by recruitinghighly qualifiedpractitioners fromindustry to teachin the sector,reformof initial teachertrainingto employer-ledstandards and financial incentives for studentsin priority areas.Emphasisonhigh qualityinapprenticeship trainingandtailored professional developmentoffers across the sector. Comprehensive workforce data collectionintroduced. Teachersinthe sector are seenaspliable in the lightof new requirementsbut are not mentionedinany detail inanyof the initial responsesof the national bodies, despite the implicationsfor existingstaff inthe White Paper’s recommendations. Willingnesstogo alongwiththe recruitmentdrives to “take” staff from industrytoprovide teachingof higher- level skills. Teachingneedstobe consideredas collaborative andco- creationwith learners,especially those classedas adultsand proposals for furtherreformof teachingpractice needtodraw on the experience and innovative practice showninthe sector and ignoredby GovernmentandFE bodiesintheir responses. Employers “Employersputat the heartof Post-16 Skills”. Increasedrole in identifyingandmeeting local skills needs throughLocal Skills ImprovementPlans led, inTrailblazerareasby accreditedChambersof Commerce andother businessrepresentative organisations. Governmentadvisedby a national Skillsand ProductivityBoard. “The key question, of how to increase employer engagement and investment in staff development and training, is not answered, unfortunately.” FETL Employersshouldbe part of any architecture of participation consideringthe educational needsof communities,but theirparticipation shouldbe grounded inthe communities where theyhave their operationsnot doublyinfluential due to the scale of their operationsandthe influencethishason employer representative bodies
- 4. By 2030 Qualifications throughEmployer-led standards.(NVQs?) and,as we have seen, on regional and national Government. Smalleremployers, withlimited resourcesneedtobe engagedand supportedbymore openand participative consultation mechanisms. Providers “Strengthen the governance of colleges, by taking a clearer position on what good governance and leadership looks like and placing specific requirements on colleges and other provider types.” p12 Colleges as corporations, with more “institutes of technology” rolled out across the country. No institutes for health, retail, care, hospitality and other craft/professional areas Colleges as “responsive providers”, “centres for business development and innovation”, colleges to establish Business Centres, Governmentcantrust providerstoengage withand seekto understandtheirlocal operationsandsites and thusreduce the burdenof funding methodologiesand auditprocesses. Providersare increasingly,focused, throughthe Skills agenda,onskills trainingat initial or advancedlevels, resultingina narrowingcurriculum offermissingthe widerneedsof individualswho,have verylittle influence on the nature of the curriculumor the learningpracticesof providers.Providers needtodevelop more systematic approachesto their communityremitto gaina widerview of theirpurposesand functionsandwork collectivelyto influence Governmentwith theirfindings. Learning The word learning appears55 timesinthe text,butthere is no attemptto synthesise Learningisa far wider and more important setof processesand activitiesthanthat
- 5. the waysin whichthe wordis usedto provide an understandingor learningorthe contexts that learningmayoccur beyond “learning”skills for employmentand not howthese mightbe importantintermsof widerpersonal needs of learnersortheir communities. envisagedbythe White Paperand shouldnotbe leftto employersand college corporations. The co-creationof learning opportunities by learners, practitioners(with the wider community) andtheir review through comprehensive, communitybased AoPsisessential to realise amore comprehensive and equitable education system Community Communityisnot consideredinthe White Paperand the word doesnotoccur inthe document. Social inclusionis missingfromthe White Paperand needstobe addressed. Lack of consideration of communityisnot raisedinthe majority of responses. “We are disappointed that the value of local communityeducation has notbeen recognisedandnot mentionedinthe Paper.The WEA plays an importantrole workingwiththose furthestfrom opportunity –raising confidence and aspiration.We provide animportant learningrampfor many,be it into furtherqualifications or directlyinto employment.”WEA The Covid-19 pandemichasshown how critical communityresponses are inproviding individualsand vulnerable groups withsupportand resourcesandthese lessonsneedtobe learnedineducation to engage wider societyinresponding to and meeting widespreadneeds. Communityshouldbe the basisfor consultationon educationprovision withoutprioritising one setof views above others,thatin the longterm, will be more strategic.
- 6. Learning Technology “LearningTechnology”is not mentioned,but termsused include remote learning, blendedlearning and online learningand these are used interchangeably. Accrediting/recognising priorlearning mentionedthreetimes as a theme LearningTechnology will be partof the overall solutiontothe problemsdiscussedin the White Paperand usedto promote and supportlearners outside the estatesof providers,supporting the access of learners to advanced technologyandits associatedteaching. Learningtechnology will have farwider impactthan the enhanceddeliveryof contentenvisagedby Government,which has largelyignored innovationinthe use of technologyinthe sector,especiallythe engagementof learnersby“digital practitioners”,which have created activities,content and communitiesof learningandpractice. Recruitmentand training of teachers As withSTEMin schools, a premiumwill be placedonthe recruitmentandtraining of candidatesfrom industry todeliver higherskills qualificationsto employer-ledstandards. Qualifiedteacherswill be supportedby high quality professional development programmes. Extra resourcesput intothe recruitment of expert practitionerswill needtoinclude resourcesforthe fundingof staff developmentfor existingstaff andthe developmentof progressionroutesfor all staff. As well asthe issue of the potential cost of recruitingexperts fromindustry, the Governmentignores the cost of the 10,000 hoursneededfor teachersto acquire masteryof learning and teachingand how thisneedsto draw onthe expertise and collaborationof existingstaff to enable personal learningandthe sharingof practice. Workforce Data Collectionof comprehensive sector workforce dataon par withschoolsand universities. No commentnoted There isno rationale put forwardinthe White Paperforthe collectionof comprehensive workforce data.It wouldappearthat thisproposal is leadingtomore intrusive audit processeswithout there beinga justificationother than “bigdata leads to better… something”
- 7. Funding Government objectives are to reform funding and accountability for providers to simplify how funds are allocated, give providers more autonomy, and ensure an effective accountability regime which delivers value for money. The sector requires additional resources to fundthe proposed developmentswithin the White Paper.E.g. “Is the government prepared to invest in this agenda and, just as fundamentally, to reverse the swingeing cuts to further education of the past two decades? This will be crucial in empowering further education and skills to realize its potential contribution to the economic and social challenges we face.” FETL FundingforFurther and AdultEducation has alwayslagged behindthatprovided to schoolsand universities,despite the critical role playedbythe sector as the “adaptive layer”inthe English educationsystem. The deleteriouseffect of funding methodologiesand theirassociatedaudit systemshasbeen chronicledby,among others,Wolf 2016 and Augar2019. The presentproposalsdo not indicate that Governmentisfully preparedtoredress the funding discrepanciesandthe anomaliesproduced inthe currentsystem. A comprehensive review of education prioritiesandfunding isneeded,notjust the minor adjustments indicatedin this White Paper.