A LEADING education expert in the city is concerned students will be put off vocational qualifications as the Government plans to devalue more than 3,000 courses.

Liz Myles, deputy principal at City College Plymouth, fears youths may be deterred from studying for a vocational qualification after ministers announced plans to cut the value of around 3,100 vocational qualifications by 2014.

Ms Myles said she was worried the move may shoehorn less academic pupils into studying subjects unsuited to their abilities, while leaving many students currently taking vocational courses feeling disheartened.

Potential pupils and parents may also be put off such qualifications, she said.

"The way the plans have been announced suggests a downgrading of the value of such courses to young people and our community – it's such a shame. People work extremely hard to get these qualifications and on that score the news seems very unfair.

"But the reality is that vocational qualifications are much more valuable to some people in schools than academic ones and we must preserve their importance, both for the students but especially for employers," she said.

In two years just 70 vocational courses will carry the same weight as a standard GCSE pass and be counted in the annual GCSE league tables – a cut from more than 3,000 at present.

The Government announced the plans on Tuesday as part of an attempt to stop schools encouraging students to take qualifications that boost their league table position, but that are not necessarily in the pupil's best interest.

Just 125 vocational qualifications will be included from 2014, of which only 70 will count towards the main performance measure – the percentage of pupils getting at least five Grade C's at GCSE, including English and maths.

Ms Myles also expressed concern that future students and parents will opt for qualifications that offer the "golden stamp of approval" even if it means entering into a course that is unsuitable for the pupil's academic capabilities.

She said: "Vocational qualifications were devised to give less academic students an alternative.

"Parents may push their children into traditional GCSEs which a lot of students will struggle with – no one likes failure and when they start to under perform it will be very de-motivating for them."

Steve Baker, headteacher at Lipson Community College and branch secretary for the Plymouth Association of School and College Leaders, said: "I think at this stage it would be wrong to worry, confuse the students, cause concern for parents and create unnecessary stress. We need to remember that all students will still be able to access a full and broad range of courses within the curriculum."

Mr Baker also commented, however, that he expected all kinds of unforeseen circumstances to arise as a result of the changes, but that it was too early to say whether the plans would be detrimental to city students.

Ms Myles added: "The city shouldn't be deterred by this presentation of data – it's important that the young people who want to do vocational qualifications feel confident enough to opt for them and we will be working hard to ensure that."