Senior IOE academics comment on the General Election manifestos

Professor Becky Francis, Director of the IOE, commented on the issue of universities sponsoring state schools:

"There really is no evidence that the input of universities and private schools as sponsors is going to help raise quality. There is an incredibly mixed picture. For example, the UTC programme has had very many difficulties and, like the history of private schools sponsoring state academies, has been patchy at best. So the assumption that pushing this forward will increase quality is very dubious and not evidence-based. There is also the question of the numbers of universities and where they are placed and how this will be a key element in driving improvement."

Professor Francis also spoke about pupil premium and accountability for schools. Watch the video:

Professor Martin Doel, FETL Professor of Leadership in Further Education and Skills at the IOE and former Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, discussed funding for 16-18 year olds:

"The number of 16-18 year olds will increase in the next four years. Those 16-18 year olds will emerge into a stage of education which is relatively underfunded within schools unless, as per the Conservative manifesto, there is a full scale review of 16-18 funding. The consequences for the financial health of schools will be substantial if they increase the numbers of 17-18 year olds which are currently being cross-subsidised from the income of 11-16 year olds. There will be a consequential issue for schools more broadly of 16-18 education in the next four years if nothing is done."

Professor Doel also commented on teaching apprenticeships:

"There is an interesting disconnecting government policy, an emphasis on apprenticeships but there's no particular reference made to teaching apprenticeships. The apprenticeship levy paid for by most schools and most academy chains can be translated into teaching programmes for apprenticeship delivery standard.

"There is going to be a particular problem running into Brexit in terms of the people you want to teach these skills will be in high demand because of the immigration controls. You can't have them teaching and working in the industries from which they come."

Watch Professor Doel speak about challenges around further education for the General Election:

Media contact

Rowan Walker
Email: rowan.walker@ucl.ac.uk
Tel: +44 20 3108 8515

Media coverage

• Times Education Supplement (Professor Becky Francis, Professor Alice Sullivan)
• iNews (Professor Becky Francis)
• BBC (Professor Alice Sullivan)
• Independent (Professor Alice Sullivan)

Links

• Professor Alice Sullivan's post on the IOE Blog
• Q&A with Professor Becky Francis
• Professor Alice Sullivan's research profile
• Professor Martin Doel's research profile

Image by secretlondon123 via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)