A new qualification for students who take vocational courses will be as demanding as the English baccalaureate, Michael Gove said today.
Launching the new “tech bacc” at Uxbridge college Mr Gove said it would help employers recognise students who take rigorous vocational courses.
It will be awarded to teenagers who pass a maths test, an extended writing project and a high quality vocational course, and will give less academic pupils an alternative to the traditional A-level route.
The English baccalaureate recognises pupils who take five academic GCSEs, but some critics believe it does not reward pupils who choose creative subjects.
Mr Gove said the tech bacc could be seen as “more strenuous and demanding than the EBacc”. He added: “We have tended to see vocational education as second class.”
The new measure will be included in league tables from 2017. It is a performance measure rather than a new exam. Skills minister Matthew Hancock said: “What has been lacking is the ability to recognise very high quality education.”
He said a list of vocational courses that will qualify a student for the tech bacc is being drawn up and will be published before students choose their options next year.
Mr Gove watched students designing computer games in Uxbridge this morning. He said his children have introduced him to a game called Minecraft.
