To think GCSEs 2021 won't be taken seriously

[Hyperbolistic]

I feel so sad for my DS and his year 11 peers. DS worked hard during lockdown, and now faces massive uncertainty as to what will happen with his GCSEs. He's in a better position than a lot of year 11s who received substandard home learning or weren't able to progress during lockdown for other reasons. There's going to no way to work out how next year's exams can be made fair for all DC and I have a feeling they'll be treated with a pinch of salt like this years results.

For my daughter I am now just hoping she passes 5, including maths and English, so she can progress to the next thing. Then we can just forget them completely as they are even more unfair than usual this year.

My nephew was ' given' several 9's for GCSE's this year, despite his previous predictions of only one or two. He was amazed, but now finding the A levels he chose extremely hard. Best results ever for the school. Apparently.
I have DC doing A levels and GCSE's next year. Despite woeful remote learning during lockdown and eight weeks of self isolation between them already since September, I hope and pray they do exams, despite the disparity country wide. I really want any grades to be sat and 'earned'.

it's GCSEs. Nobody gives a fuck anyway - why on earth we haven't taken the chance to scrap them is a total mystery.

I think you’ll find that many people give a fuck about their gcse’s.. for many it will be the only formal educational qualifications that they have.
It’s true they matter less over time and if you go on to achieve a-levels, degrees etc... but at the time of taking they are extremely important to those children.

The Govt needs to scrap GCSE exams for 2021. They've always been unfair but this year it's just ridiculous.

@everybodysang

it's GCSEs. Nobody gives a fuck anyway - why on earth we haven't taken the chance to scrap them is a total mystery.

My DS wants to do medicine - it really does matter.

I think if they go ahead then the criteria/points required to access the next stage of education (if sought) should be lowered.

I really want any grades to be sat and 'earned’

Reall? Do you not believe the teachers know their students and their capabilities? Do you not think they’ve earns them already?

How would you feel if you worked hard for two years and consistently put the effort in, but you were only paid if you passed an exam at the end of it?

Some kids will leave school without a single GCSE - are they to be scraped as part of society? Are we to praise only the A* people?

I wonder if you know what your friends got in their GCSEs and judge them lacking?

@colouringindoors

I think if they go ahead then the criteria/points required to access the next stage of education (if sought) should be lowered.

The points required are there for a reason, though.

Bluebells
I believe some teachers do overinflate their students grades, or even underestimated them. My DS in 2019 got better grades than predicted in 6 of his 9 GCSE's. I never said anyone had to be 'scrapped'. But grades should be 'earned" through achievement and reaching a certain standard, regardless of how much or little work is put in.
Selfishly my DC perform well in exams. I want them to sit them.

Estimated grades in my opinion do not take account of those who have exam nerves and so will overall be an overestimate. For GCSEs less of an issue as it is about passing above all.

I am sure that at least English and Maths could be sat, even if there is no vaccine by then and there are some restrictions in place.

@earlydoors42

For my daughter I am now just hoping she passes 5, including maths and English, so she can progress to the next thing. Then we can just forget them completely as they are even more unfair than usual this year.

I am exactly the same with my year 11 ds. Just hoping he gets enough to enable to do the course he wants at college. Just wish we could fast forward to next August now as the continual stress and uncertainly over the exams is starting to take its toll.

Agreed!

GCSEs aren’t taken seriously anyway.

They are an important 'gateway' to next steps.
Past that they are of less importance, especially if doing A levels.

But they are important as the gateway, and more so for people going on to do BTECs etc.

I (somewhat selfishly) hope they do sit them. My DD's MH is too bad right now for her to be accessing any education. If we get through to June there is a chance she'll have recovered enough to prep and sit some subjects. Currently the school would be unable to give her any centres assessed grades.

@earlydoors42 and @PenguinIce I know what you mean. I'm starting to think this way too. There's so much uncertainty and stress around next year's exams I'm starting to change my outlook. I was initially really hoping they'd go ahead as my DS like @cptartapp does well in tests. However now I think they'll be discredited anyway even if they do well as there has been so much unfairness and discrepancies between students. I'm now starting to just want him to get this year over and do well enough to move onto the next stage when hopefully things will be much more settled.

I don't think they will be 'discredited' long term.

Short term, maybe universities with high entrance who look back to GCSEs may take less notice of them than usual.
But long term employers won't care if GCSEs from 2020/2021 are a bit over/under graded compared with other years.

My son did really bad in gcse this year(7 in sciences and the rest are 6 and 5s) and he wants to do medicine.Do you think it will stop him from getting into med school

@namrah

My son did really bad in gcse this year(7 in sciences and the rest are 6 and 5s) and he wants to do medicine.Do you think it will stop him from getting into med school

Not as long as he gets A or A* in all his A levels.