Human capital

This event examined the potential role that adult education can play in providing a genuine second chance, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds or who leave school with few formal qualifications. IFS researchers set out the planned reforms in the context of recent changes to learner numbers and funding, as well as the likely impact of planned reforms given the details and evidence base.

'The power of the Treasury needs constant challenge and scrutiny, but in the end, it needs to play its role in challenging and scrutinising the rest of government. It needs to be unpopular.' Paul Johnson in The Times on the Treasury's role in last week's decisions on education spending.

'Right at the top of the agenda for government should be how to make up this educational deficit created by the pandemic and our response to it — especially for the least advantaged children.'

The share of people staying on in education beyond the age of 18 has grown substantially in the UK since the 1980s. Yet until now, evidence on the effect of these qualifications on subsequent earnings has been limited. This event presented key findings from three pieces of research published in 2020 by the IFS on returns to education.

Further and higher education providers face severe resource challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. At this event, IFS researchers and panellists Philip Augar and Mary Curnock Cook analysed these challenges.

You cannot fairly assign grades to a cohort of students who have not done the exams. A Levels "didn’t need to be this much of a mess", writes Paul Johnson.

Girls are aware of the benefits of STEM careers, but fear they are male-dominated.