CareerWise. New 14-19 curriculum. 11

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By 2010, the government wants to offer fourteen specialised vocational Diplomas alongside existing A-levels. This falls far short of the recommendations of former chief schools inspector Sir Mike Tomlinson, who suggested replacing GCSEs and A-levels with a four-part diploma encompassing academic subjects, vocational training and key skills like literacy and numeracy. So, will vocational courses continue to be regarded as the poor relation to A-levels? Peter Curran discusses the issue with Ken Spours from the Institute of Education, who was a member of the Tomlinson committee, and Louise Potter, Policy Advisor for the Chambers of Commerce. We also visit John Moores University in Liverpool, which trains teachers specifically to teach vocational courses. And, Fiona Flynn from the Times Educational Supplement visits a sixth form college in South London which firmly believes in encouraging its students along a vocational path.