To steer DS away from doing GCSE Child Development?

[dson2]

DS wants to do GCSE Child Development.

WIBU to steer him away from this?

You dont need a gcse in child development to be a

Doctor
Teacher
Social worker
Father

It sounds pointless and i doubt it is a requirement for any a-level or HE course.

ICT is being abolished because it's a pretty useless subject. It is not going to help in becoming a graphic designer.

It is being replaced by computer science, which though newish has a much more useful syllabus, and both GCSE and A level are increasingly well regarded.

I understand where you are coming from, and in this current narrow form of education pushed into schools in many ways a different subject would be better.

Isn't it a shame though, most young people will at some point become parents and it is one of the hardest things they could be taking on. Getting some kind of education about it could be very valuable.

I've tried telling him about how it limits his options at a levels and he tells me that it doesn't matter because his goal is to do Maths, biology and chemistry. Sigh... You really can't give my kid advice.

It is computer science that he's doing. With the graphics design modules. (Everyone still describes it as ICT).

Actually I think it's computer studies?

It's not something he can't pick up after GCSE's so it probably isn't a "necessary" subject but I'm for children making informed decisions for themselves.

If you have explained how it may impact him and his various options and he still wants to do it then I would say go for it.

I'd also encourage something more academic as he's already doing art.

It is being replaced by computer science, which though newish has a much more useful syllabus, and both GCSE and A level are increasingly well regarded.

Yes, but there is a lack of specialist teachers, so it may be a bad idea to take it if the school doesn't have one. If the school offers a DT subject eg electronic products it might be a better bet than ICT.

Art isn't a 'soft option' in that it has a lot of coursework. Thats the other thing to bear in mind when balancing choices.

Why will it limit his choice at A level?
Genuine question btw.

These comments are quite depressing.

My son did Child Development, Art, Philosophy & Ethics and French.

He failed French. Did well in the others.

Is now in his second year of A-Levels (doing Maths, Further Maths and Psychology).

He wants to do an access course in Physics next year.

He is very clever and wants to do Physics and Maths at uni. I really don't see how his choices have affected him. His GCSE choices really don't matter now.

I loved doing Child Development

It was a really enjoyable course to do

But a lot of writing/typing

I took it and it was very easy and utterly useless. Only time it might be helpful would be if you're planning a career in childcare or something related.

A handful of boys in my year also took it, and all of them did it solely for the reproduction part of the syllabus. They seemed bitterly disappointed that the classes didn't involve in depth coverage of the recreational side of it.

"(Everyone still describes it as ICT)"

I'm not so sure about that. There are different courses available, and the ICT ones definitely have the lowest reputation. And if you had DC going through at the time it was all changing, it was explicitly stated because the names are confusible by the courses (and their reputations) really different.

If it's a new-style computer science course, then that's a much more serious choice.

I'm not sure where computer studies fits in at all! Anyone know?

YANBU, you should certainly steer him away from a subject like that. I'm slightly curious as to his motives, if it is just laziness then you need to make him take a "proper" subject instead.

I've tried telling him about how it limits his options at a levels and he tells me that it doesn't matter because his goal is to do Maths, biology and chemistry.

If he's sure thats what he wants to do then he's right. Hopefully he is doing the triple science?

Nobody really cares what GCSEs you have as long as maths and English are included (and science) if he's planning on science based a levels. Only the grades are looked at by universities, higher level apprenticeships etc. not the subject. Let him do what he wants!

My son did Computer Studies. He did a web design module and then picked the Gaming one. It definitely did exist.

I've just finished A-Levels and am at university now so know the process first hand.

Nothing wrong with child development. My DB did it years ago and went on to become a social worker in a large children's hospital and he still remembers some of the stuff he learnt on that course.

Don't steer him away from it we need more men working with children not less

"When I was at school it was only offered to the less academic."

Yep and then people seem surprised that people who work in childcare are often not well educated. I'm not sure why it was so looked down on when I was at school, but it was.

Yes he's doing triple.

No, not laziness (and I believe that) he's a very hard working, but shy boy. I do worry about potential teasing like PP said. I think he genuinely is probably just interested (loves all the baby programs that I watch) can't wait to be a dad, etc. I just think it's a pointless time in his life to learn about it.

He is currently studying French and Spanish so he could take either! He hates them though, but is very good

GCSE choices really aren't that important.They are soon superceded by A levels and then degree modules.By the time he applies for a job it will be relevant.
If it is some thing he is interested in then it is likely he will do well at it, and of all his GCSE subjects it is one that is nearly guaranteed to be useful in later life.I would swap out ICT if anything

' will be irrelevant'

"People saying 'it's up to the child', one reason that state school pupils have struggled to be properly represented at the best unis in the past is that their state schools allow them to take softer/less academically valued options. For a quite academic child, this can then limit what they go on to do. If you want to do childcare at the local college, the best point to do this is after 16."

I think you're probably right, but also if someone is quite academic, GCSEs shouldn't matter much by the time they're looking for a job in their 20s. I would have thought that choice of A levels and degree are more important.