To think that it's time the UK had a GED (High School equivalency) mechanism?

[Just5minswithDacre]

Something similar to the American and Canadian system?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Educational_Development

I've applied for a contract working in an area partly concerned withNEETS (keeping it vague on purpose) so I've been boning up for that interview.

I was also chatting to a Home Edding friend at the weekend about the expense and difficulty of accessing GCSE courses and exams, and particularly about how changes to the GCSE system will make things harder/easier for HEers and the likely effect on the NEET numbers. Then we wandered on to the raising of the participation age and who that might have an impact on.

I've been thinking about it since and it seems to me that anyone NOT getting 5+ GCSEs at 16 (for whatever reason) has an unnecessarily difficult path to 'catch up'. There's absolutely blanket provision for 16-18s and adults to take Maths and English GCSE, but beyond that, it's hard to access Level 2 general education at 16+. Anyone trying is likely to be forced down a vocational route.

So why don't we have a GED-type option? Should we?

Can external candidates take that Aunt?

The school my brother teachers at allows external candidates, but I don't know how widespread that is.

We already seem to have a vast range of qualifications.

If there aren't enough places offering GCSEs, then isn't the simplest solution to increase the number that do, rather than invent yet another qualification.

And presumably people who missed GCSE but don't want to do BTecs feel that way because they want to do a specific GCSE - Spanish or Geography or Art, in which case, what use is a general course to them?

If there aren't enough places offering GCSEs, then isn't the simplest solution to increase the number that do, rather than invent yet another qualification.

Maybe not a whole new qualification, but a different study route to take (adapted) exams on GCSE content?

And presumably people who missed GCSE but don't want to do BTecs feel that way because they want to do a specific GCSE - Spanish or Geography or Art, in which case, what use is a general course to them?

That's interesting. I was imagining the opposite; that individuals might want to gain a GCSE type general education course to avoid specialising too early (BTECs are all single subject area).

It would make more sense for Open University to develop an offer for a suitable qualification - they already have a workable system.

Have you looked at Interhigh OP?

It would make more sense for Open University to develop an offer for a suitable qualification - they already have a workable system.

Yes! Brilliant idea (As long as it was affordable to all).

Have you looked at Interhigh OP?

It's not an issue for us (fingers crossed). Although we do know a lot of HEers because of two of mine were HE when they were younger.

I've heard of Interhigh. Isn't that another provision that has to be completed at the 'right' age, though? (Albeit online). Maybe providers like that could also expand?

I'm just getting really absorbed in the whole issue of NEETs, Home Ed teens, sick teens, teens with SN and the connections between those things Phiney.

www.interhigh.co.uk/about-us/

I am a teacher and have been exploring online teaching after a student of mine relocated to Dubai and told me he would be continuing to study my subject, but online. There are a few providers and I expect it will grow. I'm interested as where I live, many students (and teachers!) have long commutes and it seems it could be more efficient especially if mixed with some in person meeting up so no-one gets lonely.

I know absolutely nothing about education but I always likes the sounds of the International Baccalaureate. It travels, covers different subjects, seems to have higher expectations than the GED. I'm in Canada BTW and there are International Baccalaureate schools here.

I am a teacher and have been exploring online teaching after a student of mine relocated to Dubai and told me he would be continuing to study my subject, but online.

Yes, international migration has got to be another reason this is needed.

A friend was teaching on a special course at our local college for a while, aimed at students needing a fresh start. She said that 75% of the group(s) were teens recently arrived in the UK. They were given the chance to study for literacy, numeracy and 'work skills' qualifications at levels 1 & 2 (and ESOL for those who needed it) and then directed to vocational courses once they completed their courses. I remember her commenting that she felt that was narrow, but reflecting on it I'm realising that's actually pretty disgraceful; "You're a recent immigrant over 15 so only this vocational route is on offer to you. Take these very basic courses then choose from Animal Care, ICT, Media, Hair &Beauty..."

Apparently a lot of prisons and military bases are also GED test centres, which is interesting. That's got to be a more useful course of study than is generally available in UK prisons.

JinRamen - it won't necessarily be a 'massive school hall'.
In many schools and colleges some candidates are in separate smaller rooms, especially those who are registered as eligible for extra time in the exam.

The IB is a good qualification MrsTP but challenging even for highly academic students and very expensive to resource (6 subjects studied for two years plus three compulsory core activities - all with extensive orals/fieldwork/lab work/coursework).

I dropped out of school at 15. If I could do something like a GED in evening classes or even online that would be amazing.

As it is now, I have no idea how to go about getting my GCSEs or equivalent in a way that I can manage.

Access courses are broadly A level equivalent and are only for university entrance, though, I think? So they don't have any status as standalone qualifications (for work purposes for example)

But GCSE's don't really have much status at a standalone level, for work purposes, do they? They are a low level qualification, what jobs these days would you need to have GCSE's and wouldn't be accepted for without?

IB is only available to schools, it is purposefully designed that way - no online or HE option.

For adults the best place to start is their local Adult education provision or FE college - you can do Maths and English usually for free, and they often offer a range of other GCSEs.

There are a range of online and distance learning colleges, and some FE colleges have on-line options for those with a genuine need for them (often medical).

Does anyone seriously think we should follow anything from the US education system? On the whole I don't see it as a beacon for the rest of the world to follow - Bowling for Columbine is a good illustration.

I have three children in the US school system. There are many things about it that I like.

If you screw up during your teenage years, you can easily take the GED as an adult - I know many extremely successful adults who have taken this route.

Children start at age 5-6 rather than 4.

They take a wider range of courses than in the UK, but if they are academically able they can also take advanced courses similar to A levels. Alternatively in many schools they can take the International Baccalaureate.

In many schools those advanced courses give them university credits, exempting them from having to repeat the subjects at university - my 14 year old already has 1/8 of a degree.

Rather than high-pressure exams, they are marked on their work on an ongoing basis.

They are required to do a certain number of community service hours in order to graduate. Many schools also require them to learn skills like CPR to graduate.

Just a few things I've been impressed by so far...

Just5minswithDacre

"BTECs seem to grow and grow, though. We can't possibly need that many Music technicians."

You may need to do a little more research

My children are in the Canadian system, and I like the way that it is not exam based. For example my ds is 17 and this year he has one government exam, and it counts for I think 20% of one course (out of eight). He does very little work at home and is currently achieving a 94% average (which I think is slightly insane really, but I guess is the equivalent to an A*), and is enough to (hopefully) get him into a top tier university.

To graduate from school here you have to take and pass a certain number of courses by the end of grade 12, but as you only progress through the grades if you pass them it's not really age based. So for example ds took Chemistry 11 online last semester (he had some timetabling issues so couldn't take the normal class), so he could in theory have taken Chemistry 12 this semester instead of next year. On the other hand if you fail a required class you have to go on retaking it (so dd who is 15 currently has a class with a 19 year old)

If you don't graduate but stop going to school you can take the courses later, generally for free, either online or at a college. My neighbour for example just took his final two courses and graduated at the age of 45. On the other hand not graduating from school is a serious downside, as you are considered to have no qualifications at all.

But GCSE's don't really have much status at a standalone level, for work purposes, do they? They are a low level qualification, what jobs these days would you need to have GCSE's and wouldn't be accepted for without?

You must be joking penguin. Loads of jobs ask for just that;

www.jobsgopublic.com/jobs/children-s-services-practitioner-rs100114/from/11kon29j128244/4/of/53/score/desc?highlight=gcse

www.jobsgopublic.com/jobs/income-officer-specialist-housing-management-ccs3959-cw/from/11kon29j128244/6/of/53/score/desc?highlight=gcse

www.reed.co.uk/jobs/payroll-assistant/29375711#/jobs/canterbury?keywords=gcses

www.reed.co.uk/jobs/operations-co-ordinator-innovative-holiday-lettings-business/29662048#/jobs/exeter?keywords=gcses

I dropped out of school at 15. If I could do something like a GED in evening classes or even online that would be amazing.

As it is now, I have no idea how to go about getting my GCSEs or equivalent in a way that I can manage.

You're the person to as then Defiant How would that help you if it was available?

You may need to do a little more research

Care to elucidate Boney?

ask^

Dd1 is due to graduate high school next year. She has to have 100 credits taken over the three years of high school (of which x amount must include those core subjects, plus a course called 'Career and Life Management') plus a certain numbers of volunteer hours per year to get her diploma.

I do like the idea of an easy five course system and a free pass to university entrance, but the reality of graduating from a North American high school is just as complicated as taking a few gcses and then a levels. Perhaps more so. And while there is a post sec course for pretty much everyone who wants to attend one, all it does is move the employment goal posts a bit further down, increase debt (or get parents to save routinely from toddlerhood with every wage packet to minimize debt) and mean that university just becomes an extension of high school in the first instance. It's not unusual to switch programs completely, the first year is usually a lot more general (as students don't specialist in the same way a levels encourage) and university takes four years instead of three (as long as you stay on the same program - it's not unusual for it to take longer)

That said, online programs are fairly ubiquitous. Lots of kids here take online courses AT school lol. So if all you need is four or five of those and you are good to walk into a university, great. I'll let dd1 know that she has just wasted three years of her life lol.