Sunak announces plan to replace A-levels with ‘Advanced British Standard’

Rishi Sunak has announced one of the biggest changes in education in decades, with a plan to replace A-levels with a new qualification called the Advanced British Standard.

At the Conservative Party conference in Manchester this week, he said he was “pulling one of the biggest levers we have to change the direction of our country” and is aiming to create the “best education system in the world”.

The plan would merge A-levels with the technical-based T-levels into a new single qualification.

As part of the overhaul, the Prime Minister said that all students will be required to study some form of Maths and English until the age of 18.

Students will have to study 5 subjects, an increase on the 3 typically studied at A-level. He argued increasing teaching time would ensure “no child is left behind,” with students spending at least 195 hours more with a teacher.

The Prime Minister said that a quarter of students currently leave education without the basic literacy and numeracy they need to fulfil their potential. He argues increasing the range of subjects will open up more opportunities for the future generation.

Downing Street has admitted, however, that it would take up to 10 years to introduce, meaning the first students to study the qualification are currently only 9 years old.

There has been criticism that the Prime Minister is not considering more pressing problems from the cost of living crisis to crumbling schools.

Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of the National Association of Headteachers argues that there are more important issues in the education system from recruitment and retention to crumbling school buildings.

With a general election looming, it’s uncertain whether a future government will carry forward this change.

This change also will have a huge effect on teachers. School leaders slammed the A-level replacement plan as a “pie in the sky”, given that schools are already short of 4,300 maths and 2,600 English teachers.

Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union said his plans are “out of touch with reality” as longer hours and classes would outstretch the teaching workforce.

Sunak says that he will attract and retain teachers by offering the possibility of so-called “key subject” teachers receiving up to £30,000 tax-free bonus over the first 5 years of their career.

Sam Freeman, who was an advisor to Michael Gove, the former Secretary of State for Education, said Mr Sunak was “unwise to meddle”.

Ella Banim, a student at the University of Leeds, critcised the plan, saying “they don’t realise how stressful A-levels actually are on students, let alone adding more onto it”.