Press Release

We should be engaging with Government over diplomas, says ATL

6 June 2008

In response to the report by Professor Alan Smithers and Dr Pamela Robinson,

The Diploma: A disaster waiting to happen?, Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said:

“Alan Smithers has raised some valid concerns about the diplomas, particularly relating to the training needs of teachers and the logistics of ensuring universal entitlement around the country, concerns shared by many of ATL’s members.

“However, the report recommendations do not engage with the issues which prompted the fundamental changes we are seeing with the 14-19 sector at the moment and hark back to the status quo of the academic/vocational divide. 

“ATL challenges his assertion that internal assessment will lack reliability.  His argument that results-based league tables and performance management fatally undermine teacher-based assessment is overly-pessimistic and comes up with the wrong answer.  League tables do weaken teacher assessment but they also damage school/college collaboration and place too much emphasis on narrow outcomes.  We believe that it is the use of league tables that should be reviewed, rather than highly valid teacher assessment. Smithers also fails to recognise the integrity and commitment to quality amongst teachers and the vital role in support and quality control that the moderators and verifiers will play.

“This report argues against fundamental change.  However, our current education system is letting many of our young people down resulting in frequent complaints by universities and employers about the lack of skills such as team-working, effective communication and independent research in those emerging from our schools.  By ignoring the original reasons for change and only focusing on what he believes are the negative aspects of the Government response, he fails to offer any real alternative.”