NIACE welcomes Ofqual qualifications report Friday, December 18, 2009 - 12:14

The report of the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) marks the body's emergence as an important non-ministerial government department, directly accountable to Parliament. It is a vital step in raising public awareness and confidence in publicly-regulated qualifications, but NIACE warns that Ofqual should not neglect its role in respect of vocational and occupational qualifications by over-focussing on general qualifications such as GCSE and A-levels.

Peter Lavender, NIACE Deputy Chief Executive, said:

"There is an urgent need for Ofqual to resolve some of the serious difficulties developing with the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). NIACE has strong concerns that the transition from the Foundation Learning Tier (FLT) to Foundation Learning is being driven by a schools agenda from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the needs of adults are seen increasingly as an ‘add on' to a 14-19 initiative."

"We are also puzzled about the position of Skills for Life qualifications. It seems that the timetable for the development of new Functional Skills qualifications, appropriate to adults within the QCF, is either breathtakingly ambitious or almost impossible depending on one's viewpoint. There's a serious risk here to public confidence in these qualifications."

"NIACE would welcome the opportunity to work with Kathleen Tattersall and her team, both to resolve these issues and to assist Ofqual in raising public understanding of the important role qualifications play for adults in the education system, in the economy and in stimulating learner motivation and achievement."