Commentary on Sections Part 7: Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation Guided Learning Section 145: Assignment of numbers of hours of guided learning
440.This section is for the purposes of the Education and Skills Act 2008, which imposes a duty on people under 18 to participate in education or training, unless they have attained a level 3 qualification (the level of attainment demonstrated by obtaining A-levels in two subjects). The Government’s intention is to commence the duty in 2013.
441.Where people are in full time employment, the 2008 Act duty means they need to be undertaking sufficient relevant education or training, which is defined as the equivalent of 280 hours in a year. This section requires a recognised body which is offering a form of a relevant qualification to assign to it a number of hours of guided learning, for the purposes of determining whether a person studying for the qualification (whether or not in combination with other qualifications) is able to meet this requirement. The duty on a recognised body applies in relation to a qualification if the body considers that there are, or may reasonably be expected to be, persons seeking to obtain it for the purposes of discharging their duty under section 2(1)(c) of the 2008 Act to participate in sufficient relevant education and training (see subsection (9)). Ofqual may review any determination made by an awarding body as to whether a qualification needs to have guided learning hours assigned to it and, if necessary, require it to revise the determination. Ofqual may also review, and require a recognised body to revise, any determination of the number of hours of guided learning to be assigned to a particular form of qualification. This will allow Ofqual to ensure, for example, that there is consistency between awarding bodies in how they assign guided learning hours to comparable forms of qualifications.
442.The duty on awarding bodies to assign guided learning hours does not extend to qualifications that are “Northern Ireland-only qualifications”, as defined in section 158(1).