Education and Inspections Bill

moved Amendment No. 199A: Page 49, line 31, at end insert- ““(1A) A pupil who chooses to follow a course of study falling within subsection (1)(b) is in addition entitled to choose a course of study in subjects within one or more of four entitlement areas specified in subsection (2) as may be reasonably permitted by provision and timetable constraints.”” The noble Baroness said: We come on to the other half of this debate about the work-based learning and, in particular, about the new specialist diplomas, which will cover the more vocational areas of the curriculum. Amendment No. 199A fits together with Amendment No. 204A in this group. I will speak to them first and then to Amendments Nos. 205B and C and 206A, which again fit together as a group and are a separate although related issue. Amendments Nos. 199A and 204A relate to the degree to which the new specialist diplomas will enable pupils to mix vocational and academic courses. As framed, under Clause 67 new Section 85A in the Education Act 2002 states very firmly that in addition to the core subjects of English, maths and science, plus the foundation subjects of ICT, physical education and citizenship, a pupil can opt either for various entitlement subjects in the four areas embraced by the arts, humanities, design and technology or a modern foreign language, or for a course of study in an entitlement area specified by the Secretary of State—in other words, one of the new vocational diploma areas that are being developed with the sector skills councils. Amendment No. 199A suggests that the two should not be exclusive; that, for example, a pupil choosing to take a diploma course in construction should also, timetable permitting, be able to study a modern foreign language or history or geography. Amendment No. 204A, which relates to the new subsection (3) at line 5 on page 51, which is still new Section 85A of the Education Act 2002, eliminates subsection (3) which, as I read it, currently prohibits a pupil studying in more than one of the new diploma areas and substitutes a new subsection which says that where courses of study are compatible, a pupil should be able to take discrete modules in different courses. For example, they should be able to do design and graphics side by side with a construction course, subject to that being timetable-compatible. We tabled the amendments because that we felt that by creating at age 14 the divide between those who can take GCSE subjects in those four areas and those who take the vocational diploma, we are creating a binary divide between the vocational and the academic. That will now come at 14 and will cut through schools. The spirit of Tomlinson was to do precisely the opposite. The introduction of the new specialist diplomas was to implement the Tomlinson report, as far as the Government were prepared to implement it. However, it does not implement the spirit of Tomlinson, which was that there should be a mixing and matching on the part of pupils between vocational and academic courses; that we should not shut doors on those options at that early stage; indeed, that we should keep those doors open right up to the age of 18. The great danger of these new vocational diplomas is that they are effectively putting this barrier downat an early stage. I mentioned that in my Second Reading speech, and the Minister was good enough to write me a letter about specialised diplomas.I thank him very much for that. In his letter, he writes: "““It has always been our intention to allow young people flexibility at Key Stage 4 and to ensure that they are not trapped in a wholly vocational or academic route based on the choices they have made at age 14. Diplomas will contain a large element of generic learning: functional skills in English, maths and ICT, personal, employability, learning and thinking skills””." We know that they must do English, maths and science, because they are core subjects that they must study. We know that they must study ICT, citizenship and PE because those are foundation subjects, but that may cut them out of doing a foreign language or history and geography alongside a vocational course. The Minister continues: "““This generic content will ensure that the young people are able to switch between academic and what are seen as more vocational routes, as they progress””." If there is second-rate, functional maths provided for those doing the diploma, they will not necessarily be able to switch. He goes on: "““At level 2, diplomas will occupy little more than half the curriculum time at Key Stage 4””." I understand that, but I am still worried about the divide. He says: "““This is sufficiently large to allow a substantial, coherent programme of learning, whilst allowing time for additional learning outside the specialised diploma, including the National Curriculum core and foundation subjects””." They must do the core and foundation subjects; they have no choice. It seems to me that they are bolted too strongly into those vocational subjects and that there is not enough flexibility, not enough room for mixing and matching. Given the time, I do not want to spend more time on this, but I hope that the Minister can give me greater hope that there will be more flexibility and I look forward to hearing from him. Amendments Nos. 205B and 205C and 206A pick up the Chancellor's promise in the Budget that the entitlement of free tuition would be shifted from age 19 through to 25. The amendment really picks that up and says, ““If that is the case, then surely the Bill should say 25 and not 19 in these circumstances””. It is a small amendment that is simply asking: when are we going to see implementation of the Chancellor’s promise on the entitlement to free tuition throughage 25? I beg to move.