Teachers upset at plans to abandon GCSE exam
Plans to axe GCSEs are a kneejerk reaction to false claims exams are getting easier, West teachers warned last night.
They spoke out after Education Secretary Michael Gove announced he wants a new English Baccalaureate Certificate (EBacc) to be introduced from 2017.
The move came after the Liberal Democrats dropped their opposition to the biggest exam overhaul for two decades – although there were claims they had blocked a new two-tier system.
Mr Gove told MPs the changes would deliver “more rigorous” testing at 16, by scrapping retakes and drastically cutting back on assessing coursework in favour of tougher, end-of-year exams.
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He insisted “urgent reform” was badly needed to stop English schools falling behind those abroad, and argued GCSEs had led to a “race to the bottom” of softer courses and
“grade inflation”.
The new EBacc will be introduced first for English, maths and the sciences, from September 2015 and probably a year later, for history, geography and foreign languages, with the first exams sat in summer 2017.
Success in English, maths, science, a humanities subject and a language will be needed to pass the full English Baccalaureate, dubbed ‘Govelevels’ by critics. It will be sat by less able pupils at 17 or even 18, rather than 16, and be set by a single examination board for each subject.
Mr Gove told the Commons: “After years of drift, decline and dumbing down, at last we are reforming our examination system to compete with the world’s best.”
But Andy Woolley, South West regional secretary of the National Union of Teachers, told the Daily Press Mr Gove ought to have talked to those at the ‘chalkface’.
He said: “What they should be doing is consulting with the professionals
“It appears that what is being suggested is a reaction to the view of some people that examinations are getting easier and we would contest that. This seems to be a kneejerk reaction to pressure from Conservative backbenchers."
Mr Gove had wanted a return to a rigid two-tier system. The former chief inspector of schools Sir Chris Woodhead, who taught in the West in the 1970s, accused the Lib Dems of ruining Mr Gove’s reforms. He said exams should be made tougher and the original plan for a two-tier system was excellent – but the idea had been corrupted by Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg.
Comments
by joning
Monday, September 24 2012, 12:44PM
“Sorry I'd missed this gem...
''I won't bore you with a list of my qualifications but they are many and varied and probably outnumber yours.''
Pathetic.”
by joning
Monday, September 24 2012, 12:42PM
“@ tomsjan
You evidently have not read my earlier post which was in response to your ignorant ramblings re uni. Which I might add you still have not justified but in fact have just made yourself look worse. Very intelligent.”
by Viscount_V
Sunday, September 23 2012, 5:00PM
“It's clear that those forever bleating on about their undoubted superiority in all things academic, social and financial are far more qualified than these unskilled and less academic Aerospace engineers on wiki http://tinyurl.com/zxgm9
It is after all "rocket science"!”
by sunny_bath
Sunday, September 23 2012, 4:37PM
“@tomsjan
The professional engineers of the Bath and Bristol area are also awaiting for further comment from you relating to your assertion that engineering somehow doesn't need academic ability.”
by tomsjan
Sunday, September 23 2012, 4:27PM
“..... and Joning, with nothing constructive to say can once again resort to personal attack. I won't bore you with a list of my qualifications but they are many and varied and probably outnumber yours. Running a business successfully is not easy and believe it or not requires intelligence too. I had plenty of other jobs before that and in between raised 2 children who went on to gain excellent degrees in Maths and Chemistry and are now high earners. What exactly have you achieved up until now and are you able to do anything except snipe at other people? And I believe several of us are still waiting to a question posed a while ago as to whether you work on Sundays....... no reply yet?”
by sunny_bath
Saturday, September 22 2012, 1:26AM
“"and only the bright ones would go on to University, while the ones that are not so bright academically but have oodles of common sense and technical skills go on to be the secretaries, civil servants, engineers and manual workers."
I'm glad us 'not so bright academically' somehow manage to keep your car on the road, your train on the rails, your plane in the air, your bridge off the ground, your PC connected to the rest of the world etc. etc. I'm sure we'd be able to do that without a university education...”
by lamail
Friday, September 21 2012, 6:38PM
“Teachers-upset-cripes there's a novelty”
by joning
Friday, September 21 2012, 10:12AM
“''... while the ones that are not so bright academically...''
... can run shops selling overpriced tat to tourists.”
by Viscount_V
Friday, September 21 2012, 8:46AM
“Awful news Roger. Charities warned they would suffer disproportionately, still, the socialists and immigrants must be in some way to blame ;)
"Should you find yourself the victim of other peoples bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember this:
Things could be much worse. You could be one of them!" - Anon.”
by rogerh3
Thursday, September 20 2012, 11:47PM
“Earlier today I was talking to someone who works at a well-known local charity. Half of its staff are to be made redundant at the end of the year.”