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What happened to Gove's plans on the EBacc - Backtracking?

29 replies
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claig · 06/02/2013 23:49

This shakes the very foundation of our faith in sound government.
This has more moment than when Nietzsche declared that 'God is dead'.
This is equivalent to 'Elvis has left the building'.

How on earth did this happen?

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claig · 06/02/2013 23:51

How on earth will he face the barracking Labour benches in parliament tomorrow? He will need nerves of steel!

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Charmingbaker · 06/02/2013 23:55

I can just hear his next party conference speech
'the man is for turning'
You don't think he's actually seeing sense do you?

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claig · 06/02/2013 23:56

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claig · 06/02/2013 23:57

Turning? He'll have teh Tory benches gurning.
How will he talk his way out of this one.

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muminlondon · 07/02/2013 00:00

That's interesting - hasn't been reported in the Guardian like this but haven't heard his direct response to the select committee flagging up concerns. Or to reports of his political advisers at the DfE rubbishing Guardian and FT journalists on Twitter. The Guardian today seemed to suggest he was sticking two fingers up at the Labour Party (calling all his opponents Trots again?) but no sign of a climb down. So it could come down to EU competition law opposing a monopoly on exam boards? What a relief!

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claig · 07/02/2013 00:07

It looks like it wasn't thought through and there was lots of opposition to it from different quarters. Doesn't inspire confidence, a bit like it was drawn up on the back of fag packet. Quite amazing.

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ravenAK · 07/02/2013 00:15

Well, that's a relief.

But all that fuss just for his attention-seeking. WHAT a prick.

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Mutteroo · 07/02/2013 01:07

Apparently Gove never does U-turns? He does now!

Ghastly man who has no interest in education other than to use it to cover himself in glory. Covered himself in brown steaming stuff at the moment.

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creamteas · 07/02/2013 09:03

It's being hailed as a U-turn but the devil is in the details......

Let hope the plan to abolish AS goes the same way. As an admissions tutor, AS grades are really important, and moving back to just relying on teacher predictions of A2 is crazy....

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GirlOutNumbered · 07/02/2013 09:05

I'm glad but doubt it's a full u turn, he will be hiding something somewhere. I wait with interest.

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TheOriginalSteamingNit · 07/02/2013 09:12

I wonder whether this is a sweetener before details of the 'more rigourous curriculum' later today?

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tiggytape · 07/02/2013 09:46

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basildonbond · 07/02/2013 09:53

how long do you think Gove's got in his job? he's not really covered himself with glory has he??

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Bramshott · 07/02/2013 09:56

What year is your DS in Tiggy? Just trying to work out how this all effects DD1, who's currently Y5.

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mummytime · 07/02/2013 10:13

Twiggy that has already been happening for the past few years. Just look at GCSE English this year. I have a DS who was two marks off a C this summer (he's dyslexic) when he went into the exam, by the time the results came out he had slipped a long way down, and is still struggling to get the crucial C. His school are now looking at entering at least some pupils for iGCSE.
At for at least the last 3 years I think, something about GCSE has changed.

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thesnootyfox · 07/02/2013 10:15

I'm really pleased if this is the case. The GCSEs definitely need an overhaul but scrapping them wasn't the answer.

I don't rate the man at all and am most definitely not a Tory voter. However I have more respect for someone who admits that they didn't get it right than somebody who pushes their own agenda through at the expense of our children. Nothing wrong with u-turns they are a valuable aspect of living in a democracy.

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blondecat · 07/02/2013 10:30

The LibDems. A weak PM. A coalition floundering

You would think they would thrash things out Before announcing them. Would have been less embarrassing. But no

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tiggytape · 07/02/2013 10:42

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SanityClause · 07/02/2013 10:51

The "new and improved" GCSEs were supposed to start for the current year 9 (DD1's year) although I agree that they have been tinkered with in the last few years.

They are also the first class to get the "new and improved" A levels (if that happens).

The current year 7 (DD2's year) were to be the first to sit the EBacc. But will of course "benefit" from the revamped GCSEs as well.

God knows what will come along before DS (year 4) gets there.

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Bramshott · 07/02/2013 11:13

Thanks Tiggy -that's useful to know. Because DD1 hasn't moved to secondary yet this is all such a closed book to me!

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mummytime · 07/02/2013 11:52

Nope the new A'levels are due to start for the current year 9. The GCSEs have already stopped any modules, from the current year 9, and have being getting "tougher" each year for the last 3 and on wards each year.
Coursework is already history, and controlled assessments really are different, but even they may be going in a lot of subjects.

This morning there was talk about making the exams less predictable; from my experience that could only happen by the old system of not necessarily testing each year on the whole syllabus.

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TalkinPeace2 · 07/02/2013 12:14

The Emperor has no clothes.
Phew.

Wonder if his wife will come back to MN to defend him.
I had fun baiting her last time.

I was REALLY, REALLY concerned about that Bacc thing because schools were already starting to pull non examined subjects - like Latin.
Thank goodness Gove has been stopped for once.

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prh47bridge · 07/02/2013 14:24

Just for clarity, whilst there will be no EBC with a single exam board for each subject, the other changes are still happening. So there will be new GCSEs in English, Maths, the sciences, history and geography. These will be linear rather than taken in stages. Coursework will be kept to a minimum. The "foundation paper" taken by some pupils where the maximum grade is C will be scrapped. English and history will test "extended writing" and there will be fewer bite sized questions. Not defending Gove, just pointing out that many of the things some people opposed are still in place.

Regarding non-examined subjects, recent research supports the view that most schools are not dropping non-examined subjects and that most schools have no further changes planned. However, I note that Gove has today announced the introduction of a new performance measure for GCSEs covering the EBacc plus three other subjects. I haven't seen the details but the information I have seen suggests that can be any three additional subjects.

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GetOrf · 07/02/2013 14:33

OOh did Sarah Vine come on here to talk about lipstick defend Gove then? That must have been amusing.

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