Schools are back and as always this time of year brings change; whether it’s a new curriculum, new resources or new teachers, there is always some challenge to face into. ThirdForce works very closely with hundreds of schools providing learning resources mainly in the subject of IT and specifically for the ECDL qualification and is aware of the many challenges being faced at this time.
The full ECDL syllabus is updated roughly every three years to reflect the changes and advances in technology and software applications. This year Syllabus 5 has been launched and all new learners from the 1st of September must register for this version. Except for the pre-16 cohort or more specifically schools in the UK.
Naturally this announcement has been causing a level of confusion and questioning, just what teachers look forward to on arrival into work after a long summer break.
Why? Ofqual, the regulator of qualifications, exams and tests in England, has not accredited the new ECDL Syllabus 5 for pre-16’s, for reasons pertaining to the differences between vocational and national curriculum requirements. The British Computer Society (BCS) who is the national operator for the ECDL is working closely with Ofqual to remedy this, however in the meantime schools will not be eligible for funding for Syllabus 5.
So what does this mean to schools?
- Ofqual have provided the BCS with a 12 month accreditation extension for the existing Syllabus 4.5 qualifications – which map to the BCS IT User Levels 1 & 2 qualifications.
- This means that schools can continue to register learners from the 1st of September 2009 to the 31st of August 2010 for these qualifications and Syllabus 4.5, benefitting from funding and accreditation as before.
- It should however be noted that the new Syllabus 5 content maps over and above the requirements for the National Qualifications Framework in Modules 3-7 inclusive.
- This means that schools can decide to use Syllabus 5 training materials for these modules and be confident that learners are covering all the required course materials PLUS benefitting from the updated elements and topics.
- For Modules 1, 2 and Unit E schools will need to continue to use existing Syllabus 4.5 materials.
Yes it is all a bit confusing, but the key message to schools is to continue with your ECDL programme. As with most September challenges, come October they will be overcome and you will be gearing up for the challenge of Christmas! The ECDL continues to be the world’s number one choice in IT desktop skills qualifications and the UK continues to lead the market with more people than anywhere else registering for the programme.
If any schools out there do require further details on how best to approach their ECDL programme please feel free to contact us and we’ll endeavour to answer all your questions.
