Gove to announce scrapping of GCSEs

[Itchyandscratchy]

But before anyone is taken in by the leak announcement in the Daily Hate Mail here, take the time to then read this for a more informed version.

With any luck they'll be out of a job in 2015 when this is sposed to be brought in, but there's no doubt GCSEs will be scrapped. What I woud hope is that Labour will get is finger out and propose a system that has had full consultation with schools, teachers, employment agencies, industry chiefs and unions.

It will change how every child is currently taught at secondary school. And I hope that doesn't mean some children's futures are determined by the age of 11.

[meditrina]

According to the BBC version, Labour do not oppose this, as long as it is "not a cap on aspiration" (whatever that might actually mean). So I think we can take it as read that it will happen. Detail to be announced on Tuesday.

[Itchyandscratchy]

Thanks, have read BBC story now. Labour's comment is referring to two-tier system Gove originally liked (like O levels vs CSEs) but he has gone back on this now.

We do need change. But what object to is: lack of consultation; leaking to right-wing press (esp as Gove was challenged about this in font of the select committee on Tuesday), but most of all the DM take on it, which will mean that people like my PILs will read and believe.

[MyNeighbourIsStrange]

I feel sorry for the children caught up in the changes. Which current year groups will be affected?

[bigTillyMint]

I have a horrible feeling that it will be current Y7's if they start their GCSE's in Y10 which will be 2015? But DC's school start GCSEs in Y9, so maybe they will be the last of the old-style?

[flatpackhamster]

He's also planning to scrap the competing exam boards.

[Itchyandscratchy]

New qualification will be introduced 2015 with first exams taken in 2017. But the ks3 curriculum will have to change somewhat too, to accommodate change Ofsted kills emphasis.

My dd1 is just 11 so she will take the 2nd year of these exams.

[Itchyandscratchy]

Exam board scrapping will happen earlier than this I think. And without a doubt all exam board marks and boundaries will be forced to standardise and have the same by end of this academic year.

[meditrina]

I think scrapping competing exam boards is definitely a good thing.

What, if any, will be the effect on IGCSE? Or will this continue much as it is, and the GCSE become much more like it?

[CouthyMowWearingOrange]

How will this affect Secondary choices for those currently going through the application process, with DC's in Y6? How can you choose a Secondary for your DC if you have no idea how they will manage the new system?

And if marks are standardised across exam boards for this/next year, will that be a good or a bad thing for someone with a DC currently in Y10?

Too many questions...

[Itchyandscratchy]

no plans for iGCSEs at the moment, or none that ive heard.

But read this re. Grade standards compared : here

[CouthyMowWearingOrange]

What about late developers? Will a two-tier system allow for movement? Or is it strictly tied to their academic achievements at age 11?

[TheFallenMadonna]

So, Science GCSEs changed for 2011, and then again for 2012, and now again for 2015. I am so weary of it all....

[MyNeighbourIsStrange]

So will current Y10 be the last to take GCSE's? current Y9 be the first to take the new exams? One exam board sounds like a good idea.

[northernmonkey]

So my dc who has just started secondary, along with thousands of other y7s are guinne pigs. Not good for dcs like mine who had sn

[Itchyandscratchy]

Well if your dc is in y10 now, the only difference really is that the old C standard would now be classed as a D in reality. Whatever their predicted grades are up to now need to be adjusted up to adhere to the new boundaries.

It also means that a C grade for AQA is in line with a C for Edexcel.

But we're worried about Welsh Board because of the re-grading confusion. Gove has thrown his toys out of the pram after being defied by Leighton Andrews last week and threatened to ban English schools using them Welsh Board have said they will fight this in court. But in the meantime, I worry that a Welsh Board qualification, esp in English, will be devalued.

[Itchyandscratchy]

Gove favours the systems in both Finland and Singapore

The Singapore system also worries me with a high emphasis on tutoring students within an inch of their lives not to mention teachers being placed on suicide watch at exam results time.

[Itchyandscratchy]

My post of 10.33 should have said 'the change of skills emphasis' !

[edam]

Gove is power-crazed.

Someone on the News Quiz said, Gove thinks it's a bad thing if kids get better exam results. So, if we ever got to 100% literacy, he'd make it harder to qualify, and insist every child reads Ulysses before it counts...

[MyNeighbourIsStrange]

Will Uni's and employers know which kids had the harder exams?

[CouthyMowWearingOrange]

We have already noticed the grade change (which is even worse further down the grades) - DD had to sit her RE GCSE at the end of Y9, was predicted an 'F', got a 'U'. On marks that her teacher (also her form tutor) said WOULD have got an 'F' last year.

DD bitterly disappointed, she worked her chuffing socks off for an 'F', only to be given no mark at all.

[meditrina]

BBC article here, the Labour comment is in relation to the proposals to be announced on Tuesday and appears to support greater rigour (again, whatever that Actualky means). The longer quotation from Labour at the end is critical of the process, but says nothing about the substance (which is what really matters) other than it's not yet clear (which of course it won't be until the unveiling).

[meditrina]

MyNeighbourIsStrange universities will, for education is their business and they are dealing with close cohorts. Employers probably won't, but they are looking in less detail, so the important issue at GCSE is the C grade in key subjects.

[Itchyandscratchy]

It absolutely stinks, Couthy, especially for lower ability kids, those who are EAL, SEN or on free school meals. (My blog about it edulike.blogspot.co.uk/ here but don't feel obliged to link, it's just a particular bug-bear of mine).

I do think that, for the 2012 cohort, there will be a general understanding of the chaotic mess that was created and not rectified satisfactorily.

And it will be evident that exams taken Nov 2012 and all those after will be tougher. The new exams will be called something completely new (although not 'Gove levels' as the DM gushed )

[BrianButterfield]

CouthyMow - the main problem with a lot of these reforms is that people object to anything below a C being a GCSE pass, which it is. Of course that overlooks the fact that many, many students work damn hard to the best of their ability to get E, F or G grades. Apparently they deserve absolutely nothing. Just a blank piece of paper. As a teacher in a comprehensive school it makes my blood boil.

[CouthyMowWearingOrange]

Glad it's not just me looking like
----> about this!