A quote in today's 'i' newspaper was particularly attention grabbing. Lord Baker, former Conservative Education Secretary and introduced of the National Curriculum said this; 'We have one million young people unemployed and are issuing visas to people from overseas who have the skills we need- it is about time that we filled this gap with our own young people'.
It is unusual for me to agree with an oleaginous politician, particularly one from the right when my own views are moderately centrist. However, in this one has to say he is right. We need to educate young people in a more diverse way than touting academia and higher education, then casting them aside if they cannot make it.
Of course academia is right for some and e should encourage that. However that leaves plenty of 14 year olds who could be looking at a barren future with few prospects. 'Career colloeges' announced here could be a good remedy for this. they sill maintain a core of English, maths and science but put alongside this a more vocational approach. Of course this is a good idea. We, as a nation, should be encouraging the next generation of engineers, caterers, constructors and more.
I can only hope that this initiative isn't sidelined by lack of support or political will. It is nice to see for a change a positively constructed, well thought out idea that may offer wider educational/vocational choices to coming generations.
Something we should all endorse.
No comments:
Post a Comment