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The apprenticeships and skills minister conceded that GCSEs were not ‘appropriate or achievable’ for everyone, at a conference yesterday hosted by the Association of Colleges.
'It is clear that we need a credible, high-quality option for students for whom GCSEs are not appropriate or achievable,' Mr Halfon said. ‘This is why we are reforming functional skills to make sure that they are genuinely relevant to employers, and consequently have credibility and prestige in the jobs market.’
A major review of functional skills, not currently allowed in early years, is underway, after concerns that they weren't robust or as valued by employers as GCSEs.
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