UCU response to BTEC cuts

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said, 'the government's decision to formally withdraw 160 level 3 courses confirms the worst fears of those that have campaigned to ensure students have a wide ranges of learning options available. Withdrawing BTEC funding will damage efforts to widen participation, as black, Asian, ethnic minority and working class students are more likely to use BTECs to get into university, and as a pathway which keeps their options open between moving on to employment or higher education.'

'A major unanswered question is whether T Levels will be accepted as a route into higher education in the same way that BTECs are, especially given this government's erosion of BTECs. Instead of creating false and unhelpful divides between academic and technical qualifications and dictating to the sector, ministers should invest in college staff and let them get on with the job of teaching their students'