ABDO sets out fresh analysis of proposed educational reforms

ABDO has today (3 September 2020) set out fresh analysis to contribute to the debate about the General Optical Council’s (GOC) proposals for education reform.

The Association has also reiterated its commitment to working with the GOC to fulfil its aim of ensuring that student dispensing opticians (DOs) and optometrists (OOs) are educated to a high standard and prepared for the roles of the future.

Throughout the Education Strategic Review, ABDO representatives have advised the GOC as part of its expert advisory group (EAG), drawing on the organisation’s longstanding experience of providing professional examinations in the UK and internationally.

Commenting on the current consultation, ABDO president Jo Holmes said: “We hope that by sharing our detailed understanding of the proposals, we can contribute to a wider debate that leads ultimately to a new system of education that is fit-for-purpose and can be implemented effectively.

“We do not believe that our involvement with the expert advisory group precludes our ability to raise concerns about the GOC’s proposals. Not all our advice has been taken on board, and the current proposals raise issues that we want to work with the GOC to resolve.

“The GOC consultation runs until 19 October and we encourage all our members and stakeholders to consider the proposals and submit their views which should not take long to do.”

Three overriding concerns

ABDO has set out three concerns, which it believes not all members and stakeholders may be aware of with regards to the GOC’s planned changes. They are as follows:

1. The GOC has not published estimates of the costs of moving to the new system or explained who will bear these costs.

The proposals do not include:

• Any estimates of the costs associated with the proposed new system
• Any explanation of who will bear these costs
• Any analysis of whether the costs will be outweighed by any benefits
• Any separate analysis of the impact of the new system on optometrists versus dispensing opticians
• Any analysis of alternative options so that the relative costs and benefits of the proposed new system can be assessed
• This information could and should have been gathered in advance of the consultation, says ABDO, and without it, respondents to the consultation will be unable to make an informed response.

2. The proposed new system will give education providers the freedom to choose both what to teach students and the standard they have to reach.

ABDO’s concern is that this will lead to lower and inconsistent standards of entry to the professions – for DOs and OOs. ABDO states that this concern arises from the fact that:
a. There is a lack of detail in the proposed outcomes for registration about the clinical skills and knowledge students will need to have at registration – these high-level outcomes are the same for DOs and OOs.
b. With the prospect of multiple approved qualifications and each provider deciding for themselves what is ‘the right standard’, it is not clear how the GOC will ensure that students reach the same baseline – beyond requiring providers to seek feedback from stakeholders, including patients and employers.
c. The financial pressures faced by education providers, with no prospect of additional funding to enable investment in new programmes, enhances the risk of lower, inconsistent standards.

3. The GOC has not explained why it is necessary to change the system of education for dispensing opticians.

The GOC is proposing to introduce a ‘single point of accountability’ model, which would make the clinical experience gained by student OOs more integrated with academic study. But the situation for DOs is different:

• The vast majority of DOs already work in practice while studying
• There is already a single set of competencies for student DOs, whereas student OOs have to achieve one set of competencies while at university and another set while undertaking the scheme for registration run by the College of Optometrists
• The GOC’s own research showed that more than 70 per cent of newly qualified DOs said they had received the right level of clinical experience during their education, compared with less than 40 per cent of newly qualified OOs

To ensure buy-in for the proposed changes to the structure of education for DOs, it is important for the GOC to explain why a one-size-fits-all approach is necessary, the Association states.

In summary: “ABDO remains committed to protecting the public by ensuring that student DOs are equipped for future roles and will continue to work with the GOC in an effort to develop a new system that delivers consistently high standards of education and supports extended scopes of practice.”

The consultation is live until 19 October 2020. To take part, visit the GOC Consultation Hub.