Month: October 2019

The Education motion at conference stated  “The UK faces a serious skills deficit”.

That is an understatement. Take for example what happens when young people fail GCSE Maths and English and move on to sixth form or college.

When I taught at a general FE College, I remember a group of 17 year old girls, who aspired to be nurses. I had to spend time, for example, teaching them quadratic equations when they really needed much more time improving their understanding and application of decimals, percentages, and ratio relevant to their career.

Force-feeding young people to resit GCSE Maths and English which they have just failed and hated is bad education. Statistically, results show it does not work. On average 25% pass; in Maths this year only 20% passed and can we claim that even these have sufficiently improved, with a pass mark around 20 out of 100, so was it relevant to their career?

This approach can even be dangerous; on more than one occasion in my lifetime a baby has died because the decimal point in a drug prescription was in the wrong place.

Our party motion makes clear that young people need to develop their Maths and English in a free course that is suited to their needs.  Functional skills qualifications have this year been improved, so there is no excuse.  Colleges at the moment are constrained by strict funding rules. We will give colleges the freedom and resources to judge the best way to improve basic skills for everyone at age 16+.

In this country skills and ‘vocational’ learning have  not been given the  attention they need for decades. Note these points.

 First, the department for Education Skills Index, shows since 2012 the contribution of skills to the nation’s productivity declined by 27%. Second, we have now the lowest on record of adults pursuing any form of education. Third, the new T-level courses due to start in September 2020 look like being under-resourced.  Fourth, the new apprenticeships while welcome  are failing at the lower levels; companies who pay the levy have reduced their other training provision.

So, with all these recent failures to deal with the skills deficit, what does Boris Johnson do ?  He removes the post of Skills Minister.

This follows a period when Michael Gove distorted the whole Education curriculum by his obsession with academic learning and theoretical testing. Under the veneer of improved exam results, many feel the harmful consequences of that and those at the lower end are not catching up.

So we have yet another reason for booting out Boris and Michael.

This government has little understanding of the FE and Skills sector and even when it tries (like Sajid Javid has done) to entice people with a temporary hand-out for 16-19 yr olds, it has given absolutely nothing for Adult Education and Life-Long Learning. 

Our policy provides for each of these three.

The Personal Education and Skills Accounts (PESAs) not only provide financial help for people aged 25 to 55, but does it in the right way; it puts the person who needs the learning at the centre. That’s a typical Liberal Democrat approach.

     ———————————————————————————

 Nigel Jones, Chair LDEA

Chair, Newcastle under Lyme Liberal Democrats and PPC

• No related posts

These letters have recently been published in The Sentinel.

1. Support for Boris

It was sad to hear some of the comments today from people in our area. I understand how many may feel if they want to quickly leave the EU, but they are wrong to be seen to be supporting an unelected Prime Minister who has broken the law to avoid debate and scrutiny.

Sir Nicholas Soames (respected former Conservative) said on TV last night that Boris cannot say that the Supreme Court is wrong. Today others in government have joined in strong support of Boris.  Their view for Brexit is blinding them to the harmful consequences for democracy of what Boris continues to do. I think ordinary people who are supporting Boris at the moment need to think about that too or else they could find themselves complicit in bringing about government actions that break the law and harm democracy.

Boris was completely wrong today when he said that the judges have interfered in politics; they have not.   They have kept out of any arguments for or against Brexit or about the referendum, but simply, clearly and strongly pointed out that the shutting down of Parliamentary debate is unlawful.  As the President said of Boris’s actions “the effect on the fundamental democracy of our country is extreme”.

Nigel Jones

Liberal Democrat PPC, Newcastle under Lyme

2. Ten reasons for a second vote

Brian Silvester expresses joy at the prospect of a no-deal Brexit; he’s among the few. On Thursday night a former editor of the Sun newspaper said if Brexit happens on 31 October, that is when the real trouble will start.

Let me express my joy should there be a public vote to remain.

1. No more years of hassle, expense and uncertainty for business in relationships with the closest, biggest market in the world.

2. No loss of government income to run our public services.

3. No worry about loosing funds for skills training while continuing access to a pool of people as necessary to run our public services.

4. No need for time, effort and expense to negotiate different regulations with loads of other countries that must be approved by all 164 nations in the World Trade Organisation.

5. No need to worry about more risks to our employment rights, jobs, working conditions and human rights.

6. The strength within Europe to stand up to the might of the USA, China, India, Russia and Brazil and against exploitation by multi-national corporations.

7. The ability to influence the EU and make it better, rather than be on the sidelines affected by their power.

8. The ability to do more to tackle world issues, such as the environment, from a position of strength rather than feeling alone.

9. Continued free access to vital information on criminals who might come here or escape from us.

10. No further risk to peace in Northern Ireland and being at the table should any risk to peace arise across Europe.

What a relief not to go out into the cold.  We can then get on with improving our society and democracy for the benefit of everyone.

Nigel Jones

Liberal Democrat PPC, Newcastle Under Lyme

• No related posts