Qualifications in FE: inclusion and exchange

Abstract

abstract Scottish Colleges of FE differ from their counterparts in England and Wales in a number of respects but most especially because there is no Scottish equivalent of the English tertiary college which offers both academic ‘A’ levels and vocational qualifications such as GNVQs. Soon, however, most Scottish Colleges and secondary schools will attempt to ‘bridge the academic vocational divide’ by working within a common curriculum framework known as ‘Higher Still’. This attempt raises a number of interesting issues concerned with social inclusion and the exchange values of qualifications which are discussed in this article. The discussion is relevant beyond Scotland because qualifications have international exchange value which tend to dominate a preference for social inclusion. There is a lack of clarity about the educational value of a vocational preparation that contrasts starkly with the very clear exchange value of so‐called academic qualifications. This article explores some tensions between these two sorts of values and proposes that colleges of FE should concentrate effort on articulating their educational values.