JFS warns of ‘unrealistic expectations’ among parents
School calls for 'cultural shift' to avoid putting unfair expectations on some pupils and boost take-up rates for BTEC qualifications.
Governors at the UK’s biggest Jewish school have cited the “unrealistic expectations” of parents regarding their children’s abilities as an “obstacle” to the take-up rates for BTEC qualifications.
The comments came at a meeting of the Governing Body of JFS in London earlier this year, attended by 11 Governors plus headteacher Rachel Fink, deputy head Simon Appleman and chair Geraldine Fainer.
The minutes of the meeting, released under a Freedom of Information request and posted online, reveal Governors identifying parents as the problem when it came to their children choosing whether to do BTECs or not.
“The only BTEC course that had really taken off at JFS so far had been Business Studies at KS4, but staff were attempting now to establish which Year 9 pupils might be better suited to follow and would benefit more from a BTEC rather than a more academic GCSE course,” the minutes record.
“To make BTECs more attractive required a cultural shift to overcome the obstacle of parents who were unrealistic about their children’s capabilities.”
They added: “Funding would be needed for additional help to deal effectively with pupils with significant behavioural issues and those with other needs not sufficiently acute to attract Local Authority additional funding.”
BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) vocational qualifications are taken in more than 100 countries at all levels, from pre-GCSE to Degree equivalent, but in the UK they can carry a stigma, often perpetuated by parents who feel that university is the only route to success.
Traditionally, JFS students have moved to West Herts College to do BTECs such as plumbing, which require large workshops and for which the school is not resourced. Level 3 BTECs satisfy the entry criteria for apprenticeships.
Last year the school said it was “developing the range of options, such as a BTEC in applied science, for those who want to continue with sciences but did not get the grades to study at A-Level”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
