ABSTRACT
The General Certificate of Education, offered from 1951, had originally been designed for the most academically able pupils, with A-levels regarded as both a preparation and means of selection for higher education. In 1987, however, the Government went some way towards addressing the problem by introducing the Advanced Supplementary examination designed to supplement A-levels. One of the biggest obstacles for the Certificate of Pre-Vocational Education was its low status image associated with lack of credibility with employers and higher education. In 1990, City and Guilds assumed sole responsibility for it, and the following year decided to replace it with the Diploma of Vocational Education for 14 to 19-year-olds. Post-16 education and training in Britain today is both fragmented and stratified. General National Vocational Qualifications are modular in design and available at three levels-Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced. The Advanced stage would replace A-levels and all existing vocational awards below HNC, and would lead to an Advanced Diploma or a 'British Baccalaureate'.
