To steer DS away from doing GCSE Child Development?

[dson2]

DS wants to do GCSE Child Development.

WIBU to steer him away from this?

YABU.

I wanted to take it as a GCSE option and was talked out of it by the school as I was too academic. I still wish I'd taken it. This was over 20 years ago.

The same was said about Sociology and it has been the most useful GCSE for me in that I have used what I learnt the most since leaving school. I don't for a minute wish I had taken history or geography instead. I could learn those from a book too if I wanted to.

Sometimes GCSEs can act as a taster or an interest. I don't think you need to do all academic ones. It's a shame that only academic ones are seen as better and worthwhile. isnt the point in life to be fulfilled and have purpose?
I doubt that any uni will look at eight academic GCSEs and think they are somewhat worth less because there is an extra two non academic ones.

I did child development, food technology and p.e GCSEs along with the so perceived more 'academic' subjects!

I then did maths biology and chemistry a levels and then a degree in medicine

GCSEs are only a stepping stone to a-levels which are a stepping stone to higher education

I would totally let him choose for himself much better imo to do a subject he wants to do than to be forced into another subject he is less keen on.

I would be delighted if my son showed an interest in childcare as a career

Really nafs me off when the sniffy 'childcare is for less academic children' gets rolled out. I'm not sure why anyone would dismiss the people who could be looking after their children to be less intelligent - is that really desirable?

This is in the context of GCSEs, not of careers. Childcare GCSE has the reputation for being a 'soft' subject, lacking in academic rigour. That is very much to do with the syllabus, and not to do with childcare as career.

I did child development, food technology and p.e GCSEs along with the so perceived more 'academic' subjects! I then did maths biology and chemistry a levels and then a degree in medicine

I'm wondering whether this was either quite some time ago, or whether you did 12 or 15 GCSEs rather than 9. If not, I'd say that you are very much the exception to the rule.

It's incredibly difficult to be accepted for Medicine, and those being 3 of 9 GCSEs would hardly help.

Art is not a soft option. It's a very difficult GCSE

Art and Music are seen as academically rigorous GCSEs.

PE, Childcare, and Computer Science less so.

A lot of childcare workers are young, not very well qualified and often lack the qualifications for other careers working with children. That's wrong but it is how it is. However, they are often very caring individuals who do a good job with the children that they care for. Obviously there are exceptions but they are few and far between; it's like people working as teaching assistants used to be years ago when they were 'just' mothers who were paid to listen to children reading rather than the experienced, qualified individuals that they increasingly are nowadays.

Why should he not do it if it interests him?
Am genuinely unsettled by the lofty denunciations of this gcse as insufficiently academically rigorous and therefore not worth doing. There is so much more to school life and to learning than building a profile that looks good on a university application. Child development gcse may contribute to his own development as a person in ways that French or Music never would. And I'd rather a child be motivated enough to get a very good result in a subject seen as 'soft' than be forced into a more traditional subject and get a poor result.

Just to point out again, GCSE ICT doesn't exist anymore-Govt. withdrew it at GCSE and A Level two school years ago. Current Year 11s and 13s are the last cohort.

Your school OP are probably doing the Cambridge Nationals in Computer Studies but you might want to check with them as last Wednesday, Ofqual culled 11 'ICT based' qualifications such as the ECDL, BTEC and some of the Cambridge National modules.

There are numerous School across the country right now trying to desperately choose another course and the current Year 9 Options are hugely affected.

In answer to your OP, I see nothing wrong in doing Child Development-can go very well hand in hand with some of the biological sciences if that is what he wants to do.

Let him study what he's interested in.
He's doing enough of the classic subjects, child development won't put anyone off.

ds2 chose triple science, computer science, history and French. Then they changed it round and he had to choose between French and computer science which was a shame

Yes, all to do with the new Progress 8 and the fact Triple Science is now in the same 'bucket' as Computer Science. I've gone from 98 students picking my subject last year to 41 this year

BeBeatrix yes I am old!lol! Approx 1995/6 I did 10 GCSEs in total I think! Struggling to remember here it was so long ago!

went to the local comprehensive school which catered for all abilities and also grew up in a council house so yes probably the exception

Art and Music are seen as academically rigorous GCSEs.
PE, Childcare, and Computer Science less so

Computer Science is in the same progress 8 basket as MFL, history & geography so the DfE disagrees with this

Art and Music are seen as academically rigorous GCSEs.
PE, Childcare, and Computer Science less so

Computer Science is in the same progress 8 basket as MFL, history & geography so the DfE disagrees with this

kitty it's the current yr10s that are the last cohort for GCSE IT and the list for 2019 qualifications published this week includes 3 IT qualifications with more to be added in May

I hated MFL but was decent at them. I barely scraped a c, as i had no interest and pushed subject to the side when it came to study. I would have been better off with something like child dev

kitty you are worrying me now

Ds2 (year 9) has chosen edexcel level 2 cida and ocr level 2 computer science

Are either of those affected do you know?

Sorry cricketballs-my typo there (my current Year 11s are the last in my school to take it and just forgot. Long day! )

I know that the current list includes 3 ICT based qualifications-I just mentioned the ones that were culled, so that the OP can check if her school's qualification is one of them, as she doesn't seem to be exactly sure that the course is, that is being offered.

Cida is one of the very few ones that is safe - Computer Science based qualifications are also fine Rufus

Oooh wait

Same question to cricket

Oh lovely thank you kitty

No worries Rufus! I have a few panicked colleagues who are having to choose a new course quickly and let their Year 9s know. All very stressful!

Dreadful situation kitty

I know the school were very proud of the new computer science course when we went to options evening

It would have been a nighmare if that option had gone...explaining it to ds2 and telling him he had to do his reserve

I'm with maggiemuffs, I was academically strong but chose child development as it interested me. Got a fairly easy A* to add to my other good grades which took me onto academic subject A levels & a law degree at a top 10 uni.

My parents never batted an eyelid at my options, they always made it clear that they supported my choices and offered advice if asked. I do remember them saying that balancing things I enjoy with things I needed was a good idea. I appreciate their approach enormously and it's how I try to be with my DC.

If my DS expressed interest in child development I'd tell him to go for it. I actually think given the perception that it's for girls, any male could use it as a talking point on his CV and show that it gives them an edge in many careers from medicine to social work as they'll have some understanding of dealing with children that could be hugely relevant. And not to mention future parenting as others have mentioned.