Public attitudes towards 16-18 education reform, parity between ‘academic’ and ‘vocational’ pathways, and how well the system is preparing young people for life and work.
An extensive new poll commissioned by the Edge Foundation to mark its 20th anniversary suggests we’re not preparing young people for the workplace much better than we were 20 years ago.
The poll conducted by Public First in February 2024 explores the views of over 2,000 adults in England and tests for the first time in some detail attitudes towards 16-18 education reform, parity between ‘academic’ and ‘vocational’ pathways, and how well the system is preparing young people for life and work.
The polling also put Government plans to bring together “the best of A Levels and T Levels” into a new baccalaureate-style qualification, the Advanced British Standard, to the test, finding overwhelming support for young people to be able to mix and match ‘academic and ‘vocational’ subjects to a greater extent, and to study numeracy and literacy to age 18.
