A dramatic year for education reform

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The development of free schools, the role of apprenticeships, and the Wolf Report on vocational qualifications are amongst the issues that have shaped a year of dramatic change in the education and skills sectors.

With the first free schools opening in September and a total of 281 applications received for the 2012 academic year, leading teaching union Voice described the government's proposals as "unplanned and haphazard".

The union's general secretary, Philip Parkin, told ePolitix.com:

"We have raised our concerns about the impact of free schools in terms of their long-term funding and viability and their potential effects on other schools.

"With our public services facing savage cuts, can the country afford free schools?"

The government's understanding of apprenticeships also came under much scrutiny from our Membership. During Apprenticeship Week 2011, running from February 7-11, events took place across the country to celebrate the work of apprentices and the benefits they can bring to businesses.

Terry Watts, chief executive of Proskills UK, highlighted the importance of a focus on vocational education, in addition to the pursuit of academic qualifications.

Watts said: "I am a bit concerned that the government views apprenticeships as a panacea for all ills. Government has a tendency to work out what its problems are and implement the solution top-down. Ministers, however, recognise that this is about giving people, who are not necessarily the best academically, a route into employment."

And Graham Hoyle, of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, praised the government's skills policy, claiming that it has "upped the tempo quite dramatically" in its approach to apprenticeships.

March saw the release of a long-awaited review of vocational qualifications, commissioned by education secretary Michael Gove and carried out by the economist Professor Alison Wolf.

The Wolf Report received a mixed response from the education sector, with the NASUWT teaching union claiming the report's recommendations would lead to "educational segregation", whilst the Chartered Management Institute welcomed the review's endorsement of vocational education but called for a greater involvement from employers in academic delivery and development.

Two months later, in May, the department for education endorsed the report, confirming the coalition's view of vocational teaching and training as "immensely valuable".

Examinations have also proved a major talking point for parliamentarians, with the education secretary describing the current system as "discredited".

However, it was not all doom and gloom for examinations and qualifications: in December, ePolitix.com reported on how students' academic accomplishments had been celebrated at an awards ceremony in Westminster hosted by the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA).

Over the course of the parliamentary session, examination bodies also sought to showcase their work in the field of educational research.

In March, Ofqual promoted its Reliability Programme at a well-attended seminar, and the AQA told us how research can assist politicians in shaping key legislation.

And special educational needs also featured prominently in our members' campaigning activity. June saw the launch of the National Autistic Society's 'Great Expectations' campaign to ‘inform and influence' the government's SEN and disability green paper, released in March, which proposes a radical shake-up to the way in which support is delivered.

Throughout recess, ePolitix.com will be focusing on a different policy theme each week. This week we are featuring articles with a focus on education.