To Teach or Not To Teach. That is the question. (Covid series: 3 of 15)

Plays, like qualifications, come in all shapes and sizes.

As the National Theatre streams theatre online whilst they’re closed for Covid-19 , I hope that they add Shakespeare’s Hamlet, starring Benedict Cumberbatch to the list. But why is Hamlet so popular? As the bard’s longest play and with a plot that is complicated, violent, dramatic and frankly pretty dark, it is far from easy to sum up. And yet it is one of those works that people around the world are able to quote from, even if they’re not always sure why.

When it comes to qualifications we can reference the apparently curious popularity of Hamlet. The wide range of courses on offer to a potential student can lead to confusion and yet the majority of learners find a course that suits them without too much trouble. One thing that helps simplify the options is the grouping of qualifications into levels. This aims to help learners, teachers and employers to compare achievements and to help people map their learning journey.

Qualification levels are included in Qualification Frameworks, called the National Qualification Framework (NQF) and the levels may contain varying amounts of subjects and take different amounts of time to achieve. Study may be done as a full time or part time course and, when it comes to Higher Education (HE) courses may be done at college or university, or via distance learning where the learner can work wherever it suits them best. This may be at home or as part of a workplace learning scheme.

(Note: When people talk about HE, they are talking about qualifications that are level 4 or above. This includes degrees, Higher National Degree (HND) and Higher National Certificate (HNC))

When it comes to learning and working at the same time (which is something that everyone should be encouraged to do) it isn’t always about the qualification. Learning can be broken down into smaller CPD (continuous professional development) sections and this is a great way to keep up to date, developing skills and ensuring that your CV stays fresh.

This post is an update of the original from Coracle posted on 15th October 2015.