On the 26th March 2012 the DfE published:
The Education Act 2011: ‘The duty to secure independent and impartial careers guidance for young people in schools. Statutory guidance for head teachers, school staff, governing bodies and local authorities.’
Oh dear, what happened to the consultation – the improvements to the original document? A well-connected colleague has described the document as ‘dismal’. Here are some more words: miserable, depressing, inadequate, paltry, derisory, meagre, piddling – perhaps I had better stop now. A bit harsh – justification for such words? In essence what’s wrong with it has been summarised as:
- The duty to secure access to independent face-to-face guidance is weak: statement in the previous version that ‘most, if not all, young people would benefit from (such guidance)’ has been removed; now says face-to-face guidance is appropriate ‘where it is the most suitable support for young people to make successful transitions, particularly children from disadvantaged backgrounds or those who have special educational needs, learning difficulties or disabilities’. Who will determine this, and on what criteria?
- The purpose of career guidance has been restricted to immediate decisions about education and training options: the development of longer-term career goals does not figure.
- Encouragement to local authorities to continue to play a role in supporting career guidance in schools has been removed.
- Review date following consultation on extending the age range postponed from 05/2012 to 03/2013.
- Section on the Careers Professional Alliance removed: only reference now is that ‘where schools deem face-to-face careers guidance to be appropriate for their pupils, it can (sic) be provided by qualified careers professionals’.
- Paragraph on careers education removed; only limited paragraph on ‘wider careers activities’ remains.
- Reference to quality awards and QiCS gone.
- Paragraph on other learning providers weakened by deletion of sentence on inviting them into the school: only visits and access to prospectuses remain.
Disgusted, Tunbridge Wells!
Please click on the attached link to read the latest Careers England Policy by Tony Watts
Hazel Reid
Please click on the attached link to read the latest Careers England Policy by Tony Watts
At a time when the educational and financial implications of career decisions made at 14, 16 and 17 are growing in complexity and the shadow that they cast over life chances becomes ever clearer and when this country has over a century of experience concerning the importance of career education and guidance that this is the best we can do simply makes me despair.
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