Commenting on Ofsted's final thematic report on T-Levels and the T-Level Transition Programme, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the NEU, said:
"This review of T-Levels contains serious criticisms of most aspects of the T-Level programmes, and confirms what NEU members, the #ProtectStudentChoice campaign group and most key stakeholders have been saying all along.
"Ofsted concludes that not enough has been done to ensure T-Level courses are fit for purpose. We agree with its warning that the Department for Education must take stock of the consequences to students of withdrawing funds from other tried and tested, valuable courses such as BTECs and Cambridge Nationals.
"Government was repeatedly warned that there were key flaws in the T-Level roll-out, not least the lack of suitable industry placements. These warnings were ignored. The result has been students feeling misled and lacking suitable qualifications to progress to work or further study - and that is unacceptable.
"Everyone in the sector wants high-quality technical and vocational courses for students. This report shows clearly what the union has said from the beginning, that T-Levels have not met that aspiration and cannot do so in isolation. The DfE needs to have a serious re-think and immediately reverse the proposed de-funding of courses like BTECs and Cambridge Nationals."