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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To insist on science GCSEs

158 replies

Hippolyte · 06/01/2023 18:47

DD is yr 9. She's a bright all rounder on paper but no real interest in STEM. She is keen to ditch a science for GCSE so that she can carry on with more of the humanities subjects that she enjoys. This would leave her with 2 sciences (which ones to be decided) and an extra humanity that she will probably get a higher grade for. I think she should do the 3 just because I don't want her to rule things out too early but aibu? Will this impact on university entrance at all ? She's obviously thinking arts rather than science degree at the moment. Thank you all!

OP posts:
GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 05/05/2023 12:12

Piglet89 · 03/05/2023 21:41

My mum forced me not to choose GCSE drama: my only options in her mind were triple award science and two languages, which half my school also seemed to do (very academic school). I did 3 sciences and a language at A level, thereby making my life much more difficult than it needed to be, as I went on to study…law.

Denying me that agency and ownership of my choices contributed to my being in her thrall for MUCH longer than I should have been and not having confidence in my own decisions until much later in life.

If her reasons are sound, let her do double award.

A language A level is looked apon quite favourably if you’re going to study law though, because it’s harder than most a levels and shows your brain can work in a certain way.

Dixiechickonhols · 05/05/2023 12:20

By yr 9 she knows if she’s going to do science or not longer term. It’s usually a marmite love or hate.
Mine had no choice 3 separate sciences as it was a grammar.
She did well 8/A* in the 3 sciences but had no intention of doing science A levels.
I went to a girls school and they made us all do triple science (2 GCSEs) to try and encourage more to do science. Massive fail as those of us who didn’t like science didn’t suddenly change and want to do it. I got best results in chemistry and won chemistry prize but had no desire to do it - 15 yr old me loved history and essay subjects, 48 yr old me is same! It also disadvantaged those wanting to do science A level as they didn’t have a full gcse in each separate science.

CurlewKate · 05/05/2023 12:50

2 not 3 sciences doesn't impact on University entrance. It can't-many schools don't offer 3.

Piglet89 · 05/05/2023 14:16

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing the thread was about sciences though - I mention German as an aside, really.

AlmaCogansFrockFan · 05/05/2023 16:11

YABU to push her towards science when she's not keen. I was doing GCE's in early 1960's, very arts oriented but had to do maths and biology. Ugh. Maths was something I' d been generally happy with, but in the GCE year we had to do calculus, and to quote Robert Browning's Ode to a Grammarians funeral which we did in English lit and had the line "calculus racked him", that is how I felt about the subject as it brought my usually decent maths marks down to the minimum for a pass. Once freed from GCE I could soar with my favourite arts subjects (and get a double honours degree) Let your daughter be free to choose!

timetorefresh · 05/05/2023 20:21

Is this a private school? It's compulsory to study all 3 sciences in some form to year 11 in normal schools.

Greenfairydust · 05/05/2023 20:49

Very silly to try to force someone to study something they have no interest on.

CurlewKate · 06/05/2023 07:47

@timetorefresh "Is this a private school? It's compulsory to study all 3 sciences in some form to year 11 in normal schools."

But not to take 3 separate science GCSEs....

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