10:50 Thursday 14th August 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
ANDIE HARPER: We’re talking about the alternatives to A Levels today, particularly if youngsters don’t get the grades that they hoped for and expected to get. Well it isn’t the end of the world, but what can they turn to? Well I’m delighted to say now that I can turn to Rupert Read. Rupert was the leading Green candidate in the recent Euro elections. He’s a lecturer at the University of East Anglia, and he actually tweeted on our page that “University is brilliant. I love being a teacher at university, but the UK chronically undervalues vocational training.” Rupert, good morning to you.
RUPERT READ: Good morning Andie.
ANDIE HARPER: So obviously things fell into place for you, in terms of getting good A Level results, going to university, and now lecturing at university. So you have nothing to complain about yourself as it were. (LAUGHS)
RUPERT READ: No absolutely. And like I said in my tweet, I love being a university academic. I think it’s great, and great for many students. But it’s not a thing for absolutely everybody. And as I said again in my tweet, I think that we really give people the wrong impression, if we give them the impression that everybody ought to be aiming to go to university. There are lots of great things that people can do obviously, I think it should be obvious, by not going to university, including other forms of education and training.
ANDIE HARPER: We have heard from people today, youngsters and indeed older people, who made decisions not to go to university. And they’ve stuck by them, and they’ve done very well in their chosen employment. But there will be youngsters today who haven’t got the results they expected, and they will feel as if it’s like the end of the world.
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