Ofsted voices concern over vocational business courses

Education watchdog has criticised the quality of vocational business courses on offer in some English secondary schools.

Inspectors assessed 100 secondary schools between April 2007 and March 2010, finding "serious problems" at 30 schools.

Ofsted found that despite many students achieving good results, pupils on these courses often had weak subject knowledge and were unable to transfer the skills they had learnt to other areas.

Christine Gilbert, the watchdog's chief inspector, said: "Vocational qualifications provide a valuable route to employment and further study for many learners.

"However, the report highlights the need to review the equivalency of vocational business qualifications that are assessed wholly or mainly by internally set and marked assignments with more traditional GCSEs and A-levels."

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said the Ofsted report raises serious concerns about the quality of some courses.

He added that a consultation on the characteristics of high-quality vocational qualifications is set to take place over the summer.

Posted by Dolcie Thacker


 

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