Ministers are trying to sneak through a cull of post-16 qualifications. In the Lords we are taking a stand to protect vocational training
Last night the combined opposition – and some Conservatives – passed an amendment in the House of Lords in an attempt to stop the government’s cull of most of the technical qualifications available in this country. Such qualifications were taken by more than a quarter of a million students last year.
This issue is part of a little-known policy of the government’s skills and post-16 education bill. While not on the face of the bill, the cull was intended to be implemented in what it describes as a “hard stop” on funding of the existing range of BTec national diplomas for specialist work-related qualifications. Unfortunately, last night’s endeavour to to protect existing high-vocational qualifications resulted in a tie, so the amendment from a former Conservative education minister, David Willetts, fell at the last hurdle.
David Blunkett is a member of the House of Lords, former Labour MP and a former education secretary. Kenneth Baker is a member of the House of Lords, former Conservative MP and a former education secretary
