Author Description

This bulletin provides an update on current developments in core skills in further education. Section 1 contains information about the Further Education Unit's (FEU's) Core Skills Post-16 project, in which colleges are testing principles that underpin all good quality learning programs. Important findings and examples are outlined under the five headings corresponding to the five draft principles: curriculum development, action planning, teaching and learning strategies, recording and reviewing learning, and institutional management of core skills development. Section 2 is an invitation to readers to offer comments to FEU on the possible purposes of core skills and some other key issues. Section 3 consists of an update on the national core skills initiative and related developments, including National Vocational Qualifications and ordinary and advanced diplomas. The table in Section 4 provides a guide to the ways in which some current core skills-related terminology is used. For each term, an interpretation, source of usage, and list of skills/characteristics are presented. (YLB)