- Connexions Card
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A typical Connexions Card
The Connexions Card was a smart card for 16-19 year olds in England for rewarding students who turned up to lessons, work-based training and other activities with points that could be redeemed for discounts on consumer goods listed on the Connexions website,[1] bus journeys[2] or suitable goods in local retailers.[3]
The seven year contract to run the Connexions Card was won by Capita,[4] signed in July 2001,[5] and operated as a Public-Private Partnership with a budget of £109million.[6]
The scheme flopped[7] and was terminated in the summer of 2006[8] with a saving of £23million.[9] Over the course of its operation, from its roll-out in early 2002 to its conclusion, one million cards had been issued[10] but only 145,947 had ever been used.[11] (183 million[11] out of 1.6 billion points[12] had been redeemed.)
An official evaluation of the program completed in September 2004[13] concluded that the program had fallen far short of its aims (eg 1.7 million young people using the card in a steady state) and there was no clear evidence of a direct impact on attitudes to attendance, learning or career choices. Indeed, the only young people to use the cards were those who didn't have a problem in the first place.[13] The inflexible contract with Capita was also singled out as a barrier to targeting the product more effectively. And, as predicted,[14] the system where students had to swipe their cards through a reader connected to Capita's central database at the beginning of every lesson (in addition to the school keeping its own attendance register) was a disaster.[13]
See also
References
- ^ Monbiot, George (8 January 2002). "The Corporate Takeover of Childhood". The Guardian. http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2002/01/08/the-corporate-takeover-of-childhood/.
- ^ Tony McNulty (28 October 2003). "Transport - Bus Services". Hansard. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2003-10-28.134078.h.
- ^ "Northumberland County Council Press Release Archives - Support For Connexions Card". 20 January 2004. http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/BB_News.asp?BB_Bulletin_ID=2122.
- ^ Ivan Lewis (18 July 2001). "Education and Skills - Connexions Card". Hansard. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2001-07-18.5491.h.
- ^ Beverley Hughes MP (22 May 2006). "Education and Skills - Connexions". Hansard. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2006-05-22d.71719.h.
- ^ Ivan Lewis MP. "Education and Skills - PFI/PPPs". Hansard. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2002-04-16.45601.h.
- ^ Henry, Julie; Wignall, Hannah (11 June 2006). "Students' reward card flop earned Capita £66m". London: The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1520960/Students-reward-card-flop-earned-Capita-66m.html. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
- ^ Jim Knight MP (19 December 2006). "Education and Skills - Public Finance Contracts". Hansard. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2006-12-19c.109339.h.
- ^ Parmjit Dhanda MP. "Education and Skills - Connexions". Hansard. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2006-10-09i.90345.h.
- ^ Beverley Hughes MP (5 May 2006). "Education and Skills - Connexions". Hansard. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2006-05-22d.71716.h.
- ^ a b Parmjit Dhanda MP (22 January 2007). "Education and Skills - Connexions Cards". Hansard. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2007-01-22b.116044.h.
- ^ Parmjit Dhanda MP (22 January 2007). "Education and Skills - Connexions Cards". Hansard. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2007-01-22b.116043.h.
- ^ a b c John Rodger and Georgina Cowen (27 January 2005). "National Evaluation of Connexions Card". York Consulting Ltd.. http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/programmeofresearch/projectinformation.cfm?projectid=13564&resultspage=1.
- ^ Beckett, Francis (8 October 2002). "Points mean prizes". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2002/oct/08/furthereducation.uk.
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