The education secretary has accused the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) of taking “unnecessary” action that could disrupt the “vital” work of reforming technical education after it was revealed FAB is seeking a judicial review on T levels.

Damian Hinds said that with a rapidly changing world and a big productivity challenge, it was a pressing need to raise the country’s game on technical education. “This needs to be a shared endeavour across the world of education, government and business. I am deeply disappointed that this organisation is taking this action, which could ultimately disrupt this vital work,” he said.

Mr Hinds added: "The trade body involved does not like the idea of a single awarding body in each subject. But this arrangement was central to the Sainsbury plan that is the blueprint for our technical and vocational reforms, and is key to upholding quality. We have been clear since 2016 that this would be the model and it is the right thing to do.” 

'Unnecessary action'

The education secretary explained he was pressing on with T levels “because we owe it to young people in England to give them a technical education to rival that in Germany or Holland or Switzerland; and I urge the Federation of Awarding Bodies to pull back from this unnecessary action and instead focus their energies on making technical education better for the sake of the next generation”. Tes understands FAB’s chair Paul Eeles has now written to skills minister Anne Milton, seeking an urgent meeting.  

Mr Hinds' comments come after it was revealed yesterday that FAB has written to the Department for Education and the Institute for Apprenticeships, proposing a legal challenge to T levels, the first of which are planned for 2020. This pre-action protocol letter is the first stage in initiating a judicial review, and if no agreement is reached, the case could end up going before the High Court. The move was quickly backed by the Institute of the Motor Industry.