Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said the Government will be pausing planned funding cuts for a number of applied general qualifications (AGQs), such as BTecs.

AGQs are Level 3 qualifications, which include BTecs, for students who want to undertake a broad study of a specific vocational area.

The Department for Education (DfE) under the previous government had planned to remove funding for a number of post-16 qualifications that “overlap” with T-levels in England – which are considered to be broadly equivalent to three A-levels.

Children raising their hands during a lesson with a teacher in a school classroom
The Department for Education under the previous government had planned to remove funding for a number of post-16 qualifications that ‘overlap’ with T-levels (Ben Birchall/PA)

The first T-level courses were launched in September 2020 and are being rolled out gradually.

A report by the Protect Student Choice campaign predicted that the planned reduction in the number of AGQs – combined with slow growth in the number of students taking the Government’s new flagship technical courses (T-levels) – will create “a significant gap in the qualifications landscape”.

Announcing that the Government would be taking a review into the decision, Ms Philipson told MPs: “I want to make an announcement here and now because our mission is urgent.

“Today, I am pleased to announce that the Department will undertake a short pause and review of post-16 qualification reform at level three and below, concluding before the end of the year.

“This means that the defunding scheduled for next week will be paused.

“The coming year will also see further developments in the rollout of new T-levels, which will ensure that young people continue to benefit from high quality technical qualifications that help them to thrive.”

Ms Phillipson pledged the Government would aim to achieve “high and rising standards for each and every child”.

She said: “We are putting education back where it belongs, at the heart of change. After years at the margins under the Conservatives, after years of ministerial merry go rounds, after years of opportunity for our children treated as an afterthought.

“Education is back at the forefront of national life.”

David Hughes, chief executive of Association of Colleges, said: “I am very pleased that the new Education Secretary has shown that she is listening and carefully examining the evidence in this and other announcements since the election.

He added: “This was an important decision needing urgent attention in the best interests of students and the colleges wanting to meet their needs.

“Our position was always that T-Levels are here to stay and will increasingly become vital qualifications alongside others, but the implementation plans had gone awry. So it is great to hear the clear and unambiguous support for the future of T Levels as well.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson arrives in Downing Street for a cabinet meeting
Ms Phillipson pledged the Government would aim to achieve ‘high and rising standards for each and every child’ (Lucy North/PA)

“Pausing defunding and undertaking a rapid review of the implementation is exactly what we asked for and this announcement will come as a great relief to college staff up and down the country.”

Prior to the announcement, Robert West, Head of Education & Skills at the Confederation of British Industry said: “It is critical that Government now partner with further education, independent training providers and businesses to understand how young people can be supported into work and to stay in the labour market.

“This will help address labour shortages holding back growth and deliver the skilled workforce we need to boost productivity.”

During the debate, shadow education secretary Damian Hinds urged the Labour Government to continue with the rollout of the Tories’ T-levels.

The Tory former minister said: “I hope they will see through T-levels and the reform of technical and vocational education on the blueprint – and we always did this in government with a cross-party approach – on the blueprint of Lord Sainsbury.”

The two-year courses were introduced after Lord David Sainsbury published an independent review into technical education in 2016.

Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Munira Wilson said she had heard about children pretending to eat out of empty lunchboxes because of a lack of funds.

Ms Wilson told MPs “hunger does not stop at the age of 11”, adding: “Children up and down the country cannot afford to eat, with some children being forced to pretend to eat out of empty lunchboxes or reportedly even eating rubbers out of desperation.”