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Six Steps to Change Manifesto
Changing education so young people can achieve their potential

What is the Six Steps to Change Manifesto?

Edge launched the Six Steps to Change Manifesto in January 2009, proposing a series of six policy steps to raise the status of practical and vocational learning in the UK.

Step 1 – Ensure all young people learn the skills they need for life and work
Step 2 – Replace SATs with individual student profiles
Step 3 – At 14 let students choose a pathway which matches their aspirations
Step 4 – Ensure educational excellence in all vocational courses
Step 5 – Allow students to specialise or change pathways at 16
Step 6 – Vocational degrees endorsed by employers

Why do we need the Manifesto?

Edge believes that the current education system places disproportionate value on academic routes and is failing children and the UK economy.

The proposals in the Six Steps to Change Manifesto would give young people the opportunity to pursue their own paths to success and would equip the UK’s future workforce with the skills to be successful in the modern economy.

Get Involved

You can help Edge spread the word about the Six Steps to Change Manifesto, whether amongst colleagues or friends. Just browse the links on the right to find out ways you can get involved.

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What's your view
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Geoffrey E. Cann
Hi, I teach in FE and also feel as other contributors here state, that we are the poor second cousin to everyone else in education.

Once again our funding is being cut drastically, for both 16 - 19 and adult provision, I will not be able to take on any over 19 students for next academic year unless they come from the level 1 course, which often brings a whole set of associated difficulties.

Once again we are having to re-design courses because the specifications are changing, though we can only draft as the awarding bodies and the QCF cannot agree on accreditation. Key Skills are changing to Functional Skills, and once again nobody can agree on the content.

Students come to us with poor literacy and numeracy skills and even worse study skills and instead of giving kids these skills, schools are delivering diplomas and work based qualifications. Because of this, I have students on my level 2 courses with 4 GCSE grades D or above equivalents from some diploma knocked together by teachers without any industrial experience, but having E's and F's in maths and English.

I am not a maths or English teacher; I have appropriate maths and English skills for my subject area, but I will be expected to prepare my students next year for maths and English functional skills, kids who have been turned off these key subjects by an un-supportive schools curriculum, see the Channel Four documentary, ‘Kids Don’t Count’, http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/4od#3034579

I am not directly knocking school teachers, I appreciate that in most cases they are ALSO working in a very challenging environment. But please someone see sense and let schools teach academic subjects and study skills and let FE do what it's supposed to do - teach vocational skills to students who have the ability to decide on a career path that they are capable of being successful in.

Regards

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