As we look to the future of education, the prime minister’s commitment to extending the study of English and maths until the age of 18 holds great promise.
However, within the further education sector this pledge presents us with a unique challenge not found in secondary schools. Around 90 per cent of students coming into FE colleges do not have a grade 4 at GCSE English and/or maths and are therefore already at a disadvantage to their peers who have achieved this.
This picture we are seeing across the UK’s colleges is startling and this is compounded when you think that the FE sector is responsible for delivering education to learners from some of the most deprived and disadvantaged areas in the UK. In fact, it’s estimated that 45 per cent of learners in FE colleges are from the two most disadvantaged quintiles.
Which is why the prime minister’s promise at the time of the announcement of “extra help for those who struggle the most” to ensure no young person is “left behind” has even more importance.
