Extract from EEF response regarding careers advice, information and guidance:
EEF has significant concerns over this proposal. While many schools are supportive of their students, and encourage them to investigate all the appropriate options for progression, some are still failing to reflect the true range of choice. Some schools, particularly those with 6th forms attached, are continuing to promote the full-time academic route over all others. By giving them the option of replacing careers guidance providers who they feel are not offering a “quality” service, we run the risk of them being able to withdraw from those organisations which promote the range of choice in favour of those which are focused more closely on the academic pathway.
We believe that unbiased, quality careers advice and guidance is essential to a whole range of solutions to the problems currently afflicting education – from disaffection at 11+ through to high drop-out rates at university. We do not believe that schools and colleges should be able to pick and choose the nature of the guidance given.
We are also concerned that the funding provided for CIAG is not subsumed into wider budgets within local areas or institutions. There will always be demands on financial resources, but that which is dedicated for CIAG must remain so.
7 November 2005