ePolitix.com Stakeholders comment on Ed Balls' announcement that diplomas could become the "qualification of choice for young people".

Government response: Department for Children Schools and Families

Ed Balls said: "If diplomas are successfully introduced and are delivering the mix that employers and universities value, they could become the qualification of choice for young people.

"But, because GCSEs and A-levels are long-established and valued qualifications, that should not be decided by any pre-emptive government decision, but by the demands of young people, schools and colleges."

"It has been argued in the past that diplomas could only be a success if A-levels and GCSEs were no longer offered as stand-alone qualifications, and that we should use the planned 2008 review of A-Levels to signal the end of these qualifications.

"But this is not the government’s view and not a matter for us to pre-judge. We need to have time to consider the success of our diplomas, and assess how far the changes we have already made to A-levels and GCSEs have strengthened these qualifications."

Party response: Conservative

Shadow children’s secretary Michael Gove said: "Diplomas were supposed to be about improving vocational education not undermining academic excellence.

"We support the reform of vocational learning but these new exams announced today are designed to subvert GCSEs and A-levels.

"Instead of accepting Mike Tomlinson's agenda of weakening the academic gold standard, Ed Balls should be concentrating on dealing with under-achievement.

"While he draws up fantasy qualifications for 2011, half of young people today are failing to get five good passes at GCSE, including maths and English and one-in-five school leavers still can't read, write and count properly."

Party response: Liberal Democrat

Liberal Democrat schools spokesman David Laws said: "The government needs to get its act together on how our young people are taught and tested.

"This delay may reflect government anxiety on how successful the diplomas will be. There is widespread scepticism in schools about whether they will be popular amongst students.

“The existing diplomas are being rolled out too rapidly and without proper consideration being given to some serious practical issues. Children in rural areas particularly will find it difficult to travel between different schools to access the full range of diploma qualifications.

“We need an examination system which not only enjoys public support and credibility, but which provides qualifications relevant to every young person, encompassing vocational and academic approaches."

Sakeholder Response: Skillset

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A spokesperson for Skillset said: "Skillset welcomes the announcements made by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on the introduction of three new Diploma lines and the rescheduled review of A-levels.

"The Diploma route is one of choice, flexibility and progression, meeting the needs of employers, Higher Education and the learner.

"The introduction of Diplomas in Science, Languages and Humanities reinforces this. Indeed, the development of a Diploma in Science follows a consistent call from employers and HE for its inclusion within the Diploma suite in order to ensure the needs of industry are met.

"Skillset, the Sector Skills Council leading on the development of the Diploma in Creative and Media, welcomes the appointment of Sir Mike Tomlinson on the Expert Advisory Group, whose vision has inspired our approach to the development of the Diploma for our sectors.

"The employer voice is essential in informing the Diploma development process.

"It has been due to this that the first five Diplomas have received significant public support and advocacy from key employers in the respective sectors.

"It is the ongoing role of employer engagement with the delivery of the Diplomas that will contribute to their success and to achieving the aim of becoming “the qualification of choice for young people”.

"The role and opinion of HE is critical in the development and acceptance of Diplomas, however, the primacy of the employer voice must not be lost.

"Therefore, it is essential that the proposed Expert Advisory Group and the new Diploma Development Partnership includes the appropriate level of employer representation and leadership.

"All Diplomas are designed to develop the skills and knowledge to support future growth and productivity in the UK economy. The three new Diplomas can and should support the same end.

"It is critical that employers continue to lead on defining the content and shaping the development, in partnership with education.

"If this does not happen, then we are in danger of recreating and perpetuating a false distinction between the academic and vocational – a distinction that is inconsistent with the Diplomas.

"Skillset continues to work with all of our partners, including industry and Higher Education, to ensure that the Diploma in Creative and Media is a world-class qualification of choice for young people."

For more information on the Creative and Media Diploma: http://www.skillset.org/qualifications/diploma/

Stakeholder response: AQA

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Dr Mike Cresswell, director general of AQA, said: "AQA welcomes the announcement by the secretary of state today of three new subject-based diplomas in science, languages and the humanities, to sit alongside GCSEs, A-levels and the more vocationally-focused diplomas which are already in development.

"We are strongly in favour of choice in qualifications to help schools and colleges provide a range of courses and approaches to learning which engage and motivate all our young people and prepare them for success in employment or subsequent education.

"That is why we are already introducing the AQA Bacc which has many features in common with the proposed subject-based diplomas while continuing to offer young people the wide choice of subjects which is one of the great educational strengths of A-levels.

"We are looking forward to the opportunity to work with government at all stages in the development of the new subject-based diplomas."

Stakeholder Response: Edexcel

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Jerry Jarvis, Edexcel's Managing Director said: "Edexcel supports the new Diploma and is the only awarding body with all five Diplomas accredited for teaching in 2008.

"We will be looking at the new subjects announced yesterday and will aim to create equally engaging qualifications that inspire learners and support teachers."

Speaking about the review of 14 - 19 qualifications planned for 2013, Mr Jarvis said: "As the government has acknowledged, it will be vital for the review to recognise the success and impact of existing qualifications like A Levels, GCSEs and BTECs, and not favour the new Diplomas.

"The focus must always be on providing a marketplace of qualifications that learners want, employers need, and universities recognise".

Stakeholder response: Institute of Education

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Dr Ann Hodgson and Dr Ken Spours, specialists in 14-19 education at the Institute of Education, said: "While Ed Balls may be overstating the role that diplomas may play in the current context, this announcement certainly marks a step in the right direction. 

"The diplomas will now not just be associated with vocational provision but also with general education. 

"The announcement, therefore, marks a realisation by government that it has to break down the academic/vocational divide and move in the direction of the Tomlinson reform agenda. Not before time, either. 

"We can now see a situation in Key Stage 4 where the vast majority of 14 to 16-year-olds will be able take a Level 1 or Level 2 diploma as part of a broad programme of study.  However, there is still the issue of A-levels. 

"As long as they remain discrete qualifications, they will continue to dominate the landscape to the detriment of any adjacent qualification, no matter how well it is designed and delivered. 

"The government should now announce that it sees A-levels becoming part of a broader diploma framework (as Tomlinson in fact recommended) so that the diplomas can indeed become the qualification of choice.  Leaving this until 2013 is just deferring the inevitable."

Stakeholder response: ATL

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Martin Johnson, ATL’s acting deputy general secretary, said: "This timid government has bottled it again – rejecting for the second time in three years a need to reform A-levels and GCSEs.

"ATL believes today's youngsters need a better curriculum offer and more meaningful qualifications now. And although the diploma has the potential to be that better offer for some youngsters, it does not look like meeting the gap in provision for our least successful 16-year-olds.

"ATL is also disappointed that the Expert Advisory Group is not thought to need the expertise of those who will have to teach these new courses and who understand the needs of their students."