techUK responds to the Curriculum and Assessment Review

29 Nov 2024 03:46 PM

In its response, techUK emphasised the need to embed technology, and digital and essential skills, across the curriculum.

techUK recently submitted its response to the government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review Call for Evidence, sharing the tech sector’s view on how the curriculum must evolve to prepare learners for our digital future.

If the UK is to tackle growing skills gaps and mismatches in the labour market, then ensuring that the education system is preparing students with the skills and competencies they’ll need for the workplace will be a critical mission.

To inform our response, techUK recently surveyed parents and guardians working in technology to understand their views on how the education system is preparing their children for the future of work. You can find the headline findings from the research here.

The response was drafted with the support of techUK members and our Digital Skills in Education Policy Group. Priority areas for our members included:

Transferable skills

Digital and essential (‘soft’) skills are seen as critical for jobs and businesses across the economy, with relevance and application across a diversity of subject areas, fields and functions. We therefore recommended:

Making digital skills a core component of initial teacher training and qualified teacher status
Embedding digital skills and literacy, including AI literacy, as a cross-curricular competence
Embedding essential skills in teaching and learning across the curriculum

Computing education

Inconsistencies surrounding the provision and uptake of computing qualifications, and the lack of an expectation that students meet a minimum qualification level in digital skills by the end of their compulsory education, is resulting in varied outcomes for learners. We recommended:

All students have a right to access good quality computing education and qualifications up to and including Key Stage 4
Considering mandating technology courses up to the age of 16
Reviewing computing qualifications on offer to ensure they are current and relevant, attractive to students from all backgrounds, and assess an appropriate range of digital skills
Undertaking reviews of the digital technology and computing curriculum on a more regular basis

Technical and vocational education in schools

There is a growing demand for skilled workers in technical, vocational and creative fields. However, the pre-16 education system holds a distinctly academic focus that inhibits students from studying vocational subjects or navigating a coherent pathway into further technical education. We recommended:

Reviewing compulsory subjects and the English Baccalaureate to ensure it does not restrict uptake of technical, vocational or creative subjects
Exploring an alternative vocational-technical pathway at Key Stage 4

16-19 qualification pathways

There have been a number of instituted and proposed changes to the post-16 qualification offer. In order to foster confidence in the qualifications on offer, stability and support will be key. We emphasised:

Maintaining support for Applied General Qualifications until T Levels are proven successful
Taking steps to ensure the successful rollout of T Levels
Protecting and bolstering apprenticeships for young people
Reviewing functional skills requirements for relevance and considering a role for digital literacy
Considering the role of industry-backed accreditation in ensuring courses are relevant and effective

The Curriculum and Assessment Review Panel are expected to publish an interim report in early 2025, drawing on key insights from the Call for Evidence, with a full report and final recommendations to be published later in the autumn.

We will be publishing a report covering core aspects of techUK’s response and key recommendations in more detail shortly. If you are interested in discussing our response in more detail, please contact Jake Wall.