GCSEs to be Scrapped

[Moley]

I figured naming the topic "Tory Scum Watch" wouldn't get past the Team.

According to the Daily Seig Hiel, GCSEs are to be scrapped and replaced by O-Levels. Well, for 75% of the classroom anyway, the others will be written off and thrown down a mineshaft - or something along those lines.

 

[Jonathan]

GCSE's to be Scrapped

So a return to the old and antiquated system. Fantastic. *rolls eyes* Students and teachers are under enough pressure as it is, and suddenly making exams harder will be a huge shock to everybody. I'm probably reading into this too much, but I'm concerned that this could cause more stress-related problems for teachers and pupils. I do, however, agree that all schools should sit the same exam, as it would be easier to compare results between schools, rather than with the numerous exam boards.

 

[Poisson]

GCSE's to be Scrapped

Seig Heil! Mr Gove, Mein Fuhrer, We Are Not Worthy. Seig Heil!

I am doing GCSEs ATM and they do work fine! If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[Tom]

Re: The Politics Thread

I figured naming the topic "Tory Scum Watch" wouldn't get past the Team.

According to the Daily Seig Hiel, GCSEs are to be scrapped and replaced by O-Levels. Well, for 75% of the classroom anyway, the others will be written off and thrown down a mineshaft - or something along those lines.

I'd just like to say thank you, I'd never heard of that nickname for the Daily Mail before, it is awesome!

 

[Alastair]

Re: The Politics Thread

So a return to the old and antiquated system. Fantastic. *rolls eyes* Students and teachers are under enough pressure as it is, and suddenly making exams harder will be a huge shock to everybody. I'm probably reading into this too much, but I'm concerned that this could cause more stress-related problems for teachers and pupils. I do, however, agree that all schools should sit the same exam, as it would be easier to compare results between schools, rather than with the numerous exam boards.

One of the proposals is removing the text from the English Literature exam. What a joke! Does he not realise how text-dependent the exam is? It would be nearly impossible to do it without the text, unless you fully memorised a 400 page novel

 

[Sam]

Re: The Politics Thread

I'd just like to say thank you, I'd never heard of that nickname for the Daily Mail before, it is awesome!

May I also suggest the Daily Hate Mail and the Daily Bile?

 

[Meat Pie]

Re: The Politics Thread

This sounds like a splendid way of keeping those ghastly working classes away from joining the managerial ranks.

Pip pip!

 

[Jonathan]

Re: The Politics Thread

So a return to the old and antiquated system. Fantastic. *rolls eyes* Students and teachers are under enough pressure as it is, and suddenly making exams harder will be a huge shock to everybody. I'm probably reading into this too much, but I'm concerned that this could cause more stress-related problems for teachers and pupils. I do, however, agree that all schools should sit the same exam, as it would be easier to compare results between schools, rather than with the numerous exam boards.

One of the proposals is removing the text from the English Literature exam. What a joke! Does he not realise how text-dependent the exam is? It would be nearly impossible to do it without the text, unless you fully memorised a 400 page novel

The text must be allowed into an English exam for that very reason - it'd be impossible to do otherwise! Unannotated texts, of course, as that'd make things too easy.

And Sam, might I also suggest the Daily Fail?

 

[Will]

Re: The Politics Thread

So a return to the old and antiquated system. Fantastic. *rolls eyes* Students and teachers are under enough pressure as it is, and suddenly making exams harder will be a huge shock to everybody. I'm probably reading into this too much, but I'm concerned that this could cause more stress-related problems for teachers and pupils. I do, however, agree that all schools should sit the same exam, as it would be easier to compare results between schools, rather than with the numerous exam boards.

I'd just like to add that GCSE's have their problems, such as not preparing students for higher eduction or actually teaching them anything useful.

SATs were the best examinations by far, well worded questions that really tested a students ability and not their ability to memorise a particular exam boards traits and sit an exam based on that.

And another thing, unless there is an exams officer present then 95% of the time centres do not bother to check if dictionaries (for languages) are annotated though they hand out clean texts for lit papers and I've never been asked to wipe my calculator either, if I were to have a graphical one I could easily store all the formula as functions on it and regurgitate them in an exam.

 

[James]

Re: The Politics Thread

Surely just changing it back to O-Levels will do nothing?

The education system in this country is pretty messed up to say the least. Even after almost 4 years since I've done my GCSEs my brother is going through the same now and the work (or lack of!) that they are given is terrible, and they just seem to learn hardly anything. The curriculum seems all over the place.

I just think before the government go changing the names of levels, they need to restructure the education system - and that does not mean bringing back old systems. It means bringing in a new, well structured system that actually educates and challenges kids.

 

[John]

Re: The Politics Thread

The current system of exams is fundamentally broken. Exam results shouldn't be used to judge schools but a measure of individual performance, a purpose for which they are increasingly unfit for. Every year we are told more and more students pass, and with the top grades, yet at the same time the exam boards themselves are able to set the grade boundaries and have the power to scale the marks up or down.

Taken together, these two facts lead to an inevitable conclusion - exam boards themselves are directly responsible for the increasing number of passes and top grades. I suspect competition between exam boards is partially responsible, and there are rumours that exam boards are unofficially advocating their low standards to schools who are thinking about their league table positions. Ultimately, this is bad news for everyone, as the qualifications are becoming watered down. I've always found this extremely frustrating, as with more and more people getting top grades public confidence in the entire system is undermined, and I don't feel my exam results are anywhere near as meaningful as they should be.

From a personal example, a year or two after I took A level maths the structure was changed, the course consists of 6 modules, each examined separately. Under the old system, we had to take 3 "pure" modules (P1-P3) and 3 applied modules (statistics, mechanics etc). In the new structure, the 3 pure modules were replaced with 4 "core" modules covering the exact same content. Now A level maths students take C1-4 and only 2 applied modules. Looking further back, my parents have copies of old O level maths papers, which tested students on differentiation, a topic which isn't taught until AS level today.

Sadly, exams categorically are getting easier, and the sooner it is sorted out the better.

 

[Moley]

Re: The Politics Thread

This sounds like a splendid way of keeping those ghastly working classes away from joining the managerial ranks.

Pip pip!

Scare the crap out of kids with their first exams, wipe out 25% before they even take their Gove-Levels and the price any of the remaining "yoof scum" out of even higher education.

Its education - keep the next generations stupid.

 

[adsyrah]

Re: The Politics Thread

Basically what John said.

My bf works as a secondary school teacher and laments how his school now works the system to try attain the best A*-C grades they can in order to look good in league tables. This means the children are prepared to pass exams and not to understand subjects. Children also take GCSEs early, which isn't a bad thing necessarily, but you can guarantee it's so that the school can either have more time for the child to resit if need be.

Exams need sorting.

I don't know if O-Levels were better or worse, but shaking up the current system is certainly needed. For both GCSEs and A-Levels. Too often pupils aren't examined to see how they apply knowledge, they're tested to see how much knowledge they have. I, personally, think this is a bastardisation of the exam system and does students a disservice.

 

[Sam]

Re: The Politics Thread

Sorry, but why have we got one topic for all of politics? We have two completely different discussions happening already, and there's loads of existing topics on the forum which could be classed as politics.

Having one topic for all political matters is like having one topic for music, or one topic for sport.

 

[Squiggs]

Re: The Politics Thread

Sorry, but why have we got one topic for all of politics? We have two completely different discussions happening already, and there's loads of existing topics on the forum which could be classed as politics.

Having one topic for all political matters is like having one topic for music, or one topic for sport.

This is where the current educational system gets you.

<heads off to start a topic called 'Books'>

 

[Dave]

GCSE's to be Scrapped

Sorry, but why have we got one topic for all of politics? We have two completely different discussions happening already, and there's loads of existing topics on the forum which could be classed as politics.

Having one topic for all political matters is like having one topic for music, or one topic for sport.

Have changed the topic title as this is all about the GCSE issue

 

[GAGrathea]

GCSE's to be Scrapped

Right.

Was up at 6am this morning yelling abuse at the news about this.

a) The current state of exams and the education system as a whole is utterly rubbish, and fundamentally rubbish. But that's not a problem with the government or the country, it's my major gripe with exam-focussededucation generally.

But URGH, just the other day I was ranting about how ludicrous it is that A2 English students are not allowed texts in their exams, and now this IDIOTIC measure is to be inflicted on younger kids too?

Why not do something moderately useful to the GCSE syllabus like abolishing the abomination that is controlled assessment and bringing back coursework?!

 

[Sam]

Re: GCSE's to be Scrapped

Exams should be scrapped entirely. Education should be about learning about how the world works, not passing tests designed to gauge your potential productivity to free-market capitalism.

 

[Alastair]

Re: GCSE's to be Scrapped

Exams should be scrapped entirely. Education should be about learning about how the world works, not passing tests designed to gauge your potential productivity to free-market capitalism.

Why don't we implement anarchy as well

 

[Moley]

Re: GCSE's to be Scrapped

Exams should be scrapped entirely. Education should be about learning about how the world works, not passing tests designed to gauge your potential productivity to free-market capitalism.

Why don't we implement anarchy as well

Because by definition anarchy could never be implemented?