The problem facing young people in Britain today is not their lack of ambition, but the Government’s lack of ambition for them

In January the Government announced that they intended to change the way that A Levels are taught, with pupils only taking exams at the end of a two year course. The AS Level, introduced in 2000 as a way of broadening the curriculum, will change as a qualification and no longer count towards a full A Level. These proposals have angered secondary headteachers in Hounslow, who have all written to me voicing strong opposition to the changes. Following their call, I raised a debate in Parliament calling on the Tory-led Government to listen to local teachers and reverse damaging reforms, and yesterday I was pleased that Labour’s Shadow Schools Minister Kevin Brennan MP visited teachers in my constituency to listen to their concerns directly.

Hounslow headteachers are not alone in their opposition however, as the changes have also been opposed by the 24 Russell Group universities and the Association of School and College Leaders. AS Levels offer a stepping-stone approach to education with choice, diversity and flexibility which have kept a love of learning in Britain. Cambridge University have said that they are worried if AS Levels disappear ‘we may lose many of the gains in terms of fair admissions and widening participation that we have made in the last decade’, and following my debate wrote to Labour criticizing Michael Gove for failing to look at the real evidence about AS Levels and producing figures designed to justify their policy.

For those young people who may never have expected to do A Levels or go to university, the AS Level opens a door. As well as this, AS Levels often give confidence to talented pupils from poorer backgrounds who get good results at the end of Year 12 to apply to a more highly selective university, helping to widen participation. These are all strong arguments for social mobility in keeping the current system.

Unfortunately for our young people however, this is not the only piece of Gove’s education policy which is having a damaging effect on their life-chances. As well as narrowing classroom learning with A Level reform, the Tory-led Government is narrowing access to workplace learning for our young people by making work experience placements in schools optional and no longer compulsory.

Education and classroom learning is important, but access to a work place, learning how organisations work and the responsibilities of a job – these are tools for life.

But whilst the Government is getting education policy so wrong, Labour has rightly made a commitment to re-couple AS Levels and A Levels, as well as committing to reintroducing high-quality compulsory work-experience in schools, both of which will improve social mobility and increase life-chances for our young people.

Once again, this Tory-led Government’s ill thought through policies are costing families dear, and our young people are hit again. The problem facing young people in Britain today is not their lack of ambition, but the Government’s lack of ambition for them.

Seema Malhotra MP will be speaking more about the damaging changes to work experience on the Political Slot on Channel 4 on Sunday 9 June, 6.15pm.