Concerns over IT diploma

14:58 8th July 2008

Concerns have been raised over the readiness of colleges to begin teaching the government's flagship IT diploma, after the cancellation of training for key staff.

Lecturers at Farnborough College were due to attend a training session run by the exam board Edexcel - where they hoped to network with other staff delivering the level three diploma IT courses - only to be told it was being postponed.

The IT diploma is the equivalent of three A-levels and students will need to pass all components to gain a qualification.

Matthew Thorne, Farnborough's curriculum manager for the IT diploma, said that he and his colleagues will now be working in the dark.

Mr Thorne commented: "Without training we can only guess at the standard and level of work that needs to be produced by students, and this will clearly affect their final grades.

"We will do the best we can but we are lacking the support of the exam board to get it right."

The IT diploma, through a blend of general education and applied learning, aims to provide a inspired technology related education.

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