Vocational Qualifications in Britain and Europe: Theory and Practice(1)

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Abstract
This Note considers three questions bearing on the reform of vocational qualifications in Britain, against the background of changes being introduced by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications. First, in what important respects did Britain need a reformed and centrally-standardised system of vocational qualifications? Secondly, what are the proper criteria for choosing between alternative methods of awarding qualifications? Much that is at issue hinges on the relative importance of externally-marked written tests as compared with practical tasks assessed by an instructor; the discussion and conclusions reached here in relation to vocational testing apply in large measure also to current debates in other contexts, such as the proper role of teacher-assessed coursework in school examinations at 16+ (GCSE) and the official teacher-assessment of pupils at age 7 (SATs) currently being administered in British schools for the first time. Our third question is: in what significant ways do Continental systems of awarding qualifications differ from those now proposed for Britain?

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