Post-compulsory education in England: choices and implications
Most students do not follow the 'academic track' (i.e. A-levels) after leaving school and only about a third of students go to university before the age of 20. Yet, progression routes for the majority that do not take this path but opt for vocational post-compulsory education are not as well-known and not subject to the same degree of discussion in the media or in academia. In this paper we track decisions made by all students in England who left compulsory education after having undertaken the national examination (GCSE) at age 16 in the year 2009/10. We find that A-levels and vocational equivalents at Level 3 are equally strong predictors of staying on in education up to the age of 18 and achieving a Level 3 qualification before the age of 20. Our findings are more troubling in relation to lower levels of learning: most people classified as pursuing 'Level 2' qualifications at age 17 do not progress any higher up the education qualification ladder.
Most students do not follow the 'academic track' (i.e. A-levels) after leaving school and only about a third of students go to university before the age of 20. Yet, progression routes for the majority that do not take this path but opt for vocational post-compulsory education are not as well-known and not subject to the same degree of discussion in the media or in academia. In this paper we track decisions made by all students in England who left compulsory education after having undertaken the national examination (GCSE) at age 16 in the year 2009/10. We find that A-levels and vocational equivalents at Level 3 are equally strong predictors of staying on in education up to the age of 18 and achieving a Level 3 qualification before the age of 20. Our findings are more troubling in relation to lower levels of learning: most people classified as pursuing 'Level 2' qualifications at age 17 do not progress any higher up the education qualification ladder.
Claudia Hupkau, Sandra McNally, Jenifer Ruiz-Valenzuela and Guglielmo Ventura
8 July 2016 Paper Number CVERDP001
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