Education bodies call on Williamson to reverse plans to scrap BTECs

The letter is also accompanied by the launch of the #ProtectStudentChoice campaign and petition to reverse the plan to remove funding for BTEC qualifications. 

As confirmed earlier in July by the Department for Education (DfE) following a public consultation, the plans mean that 16-year-olds will complete A Levels or ‘T Levels’, new technical qualifications equivalent to three A Levels. The idea is that the post-16 qualifications system is simplified and ‘low-quality’ courses removed.

Concerns over these plans has been growing in the drama education community as there is currently no T Level in performing arts. It is also feared that many already disadvantaged students who take current general applied qualifications, such as BTECs and Cambridge Technicals, will be further disadvantaged if these are defunded.