At Edge, we believe that a vibrant, coherent and relevant education system can enable all learners to fulfil their potential.
To do this, we collaborate closely with key national stakeholders including government, policy practitioners, teaching staff, students and external partners – and we also love learning from successful international examples to inspire innovative policy solutions back at home. By developing our policy reports, contributing to government and select committee consultations and collaborating with wider stakeholders, we look forward to continuing to shape the debate on the future of education.
Schools and 14-19 Education
We want to equip young people to make hard choices, to be leaders, community focussed, to stand up for what they think is right but also to learn skills like team work, resilience and empathy. To do this, we need a 14-19 phase of education that is coherent, unified and holistic based on a broad and balanced curriculum that makes learning relevant to the work place and real life.
Apprenticeships
Our apprenticeship system plays a vital part in our technical education landscape but they have the potential to become even more ambitious and relevant to the skills needed for the 21st century. Rather than introducing new measures, we should scale up the things that already work well and focus on higher quality, broader transferable skills and better preparation for the onset of the fourth industrial revolution and green economy, working particularly with smaller businesses.
Further Education
Against the backdrop of a changing economy, Brexit, and the urgency of Covid-19, it is clear more than ever before that we need our FE sector to be at the forefront of social and economy recovery. To do this, we want to see the FE sector become more defined, careers and skills focused, and collaborative, with Colleges fulfilling their role as anchor institutions and trusted service for providers for their local businesses.
Higher Education
Our universities generate vital research and serve critical social and economic functions across the country. However, with high tuition fees, escalating student debt and quality varying hugely across courses, there is a danger that young people feel dissatisfied with their degrees. For HE to maintain its reputation as a powerhouse for society and the economy, we want to see it become more diverse, employment-focused and more focused on offering rigorous value for money.