Universities should become talent-spotters in a reformed 14-19 education and training system that would sweep away barriers to progression and achievement, according to Phil Willis, Liberal Democrat education spokesman, writes Tony Tysome.
They should help identify pupils who could benefit from an accelerated learning scheme under a more flexible post-14 system, he told the conference. He urged ministers to consider scrapping GCSEs, creating a new 14-19 curriculum and qualifications framework, raising the school-leaving age to 19, and funding employers to provide training.