When will DCs sit the first 'overhauled' GCSE exams?

[LittenTree]

background reading

I note it says "New-style geography and maths syllabuses will be improved for teaching from this autumn, while history and English literature papers will be overhauled in 2013". What, will the new syllabus be wheeled out in 2013? Be overhauled in 2013 to start in 2014? For which year's GCSE exams?

God, there must be a lot of worried parents, teachers and DCs out there. I mean, you'd think they'd say 'OK, as of now, this is the new syllabus. The first GCSE in this will be sat in 2015 (2016?!); and all their grades will have something to mark them as being New Syllabus so their C grade can be directly compared to the previous year's A grade. Those already on the current syllabus will continue to take their existing exams'.

But they won't, will they? It'll be like the Eng Bacc- foisted on the DCs after they'd sat the GCSEs; GCSEs largely selected to boost the school's all important League Table position.

Thanks for the link.

I was aghast to see that 25% now receive A*/A, and that this is about 4x more than the proportion when GCSEs replaced O levels.

No wonder it has become impossible to identify the excellent academic achievers.

I agree that a new classifier might be handy, to show "old" or "new" syllabus.

Or- how about retaining the 'lower end' of the current system and the DCs can take modular exams BUT will get graded say 1-6; the top end can do the 'new syllabus' and get graded A-E.

We could call the first scenario CSEs and the second GCEs.....

Great idea Litten Tree. And to avoid confusion with A-level GCEs, we could call the new GCEs O-level.

Excellent! I shall call Mr Gove forthwith.

Oh, yes what a good idea! Good luck with Gove. I can't see that he'd be anything but delighted with that idea.

Yes, I see it a forward thinking and innovative.

Can't understand why no one thought of it before....

In Chemistry, 56% got A or A*
because the logic now is that all exams should be equally hard and bright kids do hard subjects

I still think I prefer the normal distribution system from my day

and OP
the syllabus gets pratted about with every year
do not bet on it staying the same for long

LittenTree - I think you are seeing the future...

What's the betting that in a few years' time we're back to O Levels and A to C grades, and all the GCSE stuff is but a distant memory, rather like the divided Germany.