The return of the O Level.

[hermionestranger]

Leaked reports suggest that the government is to scrap the GCSE from 2015, 2013 option takers will be the last year to take them.

I'm sorry it's the mail bug they were first on my twitter feed. I 'm on my phone so can't link properly.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2162369/Return-O-Level-Gove-shake-biggest-revolution-education-30-years.html

"We're we a bit thick back then or have the school kids now made such massive advances?"

IME school children are expected to work much harder from a much earlier age. Parents are far more involved in their childrens' education and pick up problems that would have been ignored in the past, many children receive additional out of school tuition (no Kumon etc in the 70s/80s), and children themselves know that without decent exam results they're unlikely to be able to access a decent job.

TBH, I'm really unconvinced that O levels were that fantastic. I've got a string of A grades; my only B was in German, and I can't (and never could) speak a word of the language, at least partly because I skived half the lessons. It was easy to pick up a pile of good results with some intensive revision from Letts notes in the month before the exam - I doubt you could do that now with GCSEs.

lilka do you not think, then, that your DD is being ill-served by the current system that ssumes all pupils will pursue academic exams?

If she has good fine motor skills and an afinity with clothes, then she has a talent! One I do not possess!

Well I did GCSEs and got good grades. I like to think that they ARE worth the paper they are written on alomng with my a-levels and degree. I do know that exams have been dunbed down but I'm sure that today's young people are fed up of being told that the only reason why they have done so well is that the exams are much easier. Lets give them some credit.

along oooops!

I didn't grow up in the UK, DH is from here.
As an outsider, and as someone who was not educated in the UK, the message I get from what I read is that state primary and secondary education used to be of a much higher standard decades ago. This meant that a great percentage of children could never aspire to a university degree, however, those that did get a degree were of a high calibre. Am I right?

It suddenly makes sense to me why so many people are looking to invest in private education. Otherwise, how would you guarantee that you child's education is up to scratch? It seems to me that private education is almost comparable to an insurance cover against any further decline in standards or any experimental changes imposed by the government.

This is from the BBC website, and says it all for me:

Jenny Cooper, parent:

My concern is not that there would be a change, but that it might not be quick enough. Our oldest daughter takes her GCSEs next year.

I have another daughter two years behind her and a son in the year before that. With our other two children starting their courses before 2014, I wonder whether their exams will be devalued by the change.

If they really feel that we ought to be moving to the O-level style exams, then they really shouldn't be waiting two years to do it.

All the children taking the exams in the meantime are going to be taking papers like the old model of a car - devalued the minute people know a new model is coming out.

I have the concern that (some) private schools will be laughing because they will press ahead with the changes whilst (some) comprehensive schools will be riven with strike action and disruption.

No, I don't think she is well served by this system. Although it's not just about the education system, it's about what future emplyers want, even for purely practical jobs. But I see nothing (although I appreciate this is only a leak so far and we know nothing comprehensive) in the new proposal which screams 'better system for the non-academic'.

It's just about trying to seriously challenge the top 25-35% of students (assuming that a new O-level would be the most challenging qualification for 16 yo's in the entire world, it would not be taken by more than about 35% at the most I think). I don't think that's a bad thing - I think for the academic, this is good news and we should push them

But, I want a sign from Give that he cares about 65-75% of students, and that perhaps he has commitment to thinking up a better way forward for them as well

See I've never understood this great push for exams for all. What's the point?

We will always need plumbers, and hairdressers and seamstresses.

Yes, these poeple need to be literate and numerate in order to run their businesses and lives. We all need that.

But do they need to pass a GCSE? Why? Why put children under pressure? Why dumb down the exams so more people pass?

But Le Queen, this government has put paid to the idea of leaving school at 16 altogether! The less academic must find eduaction till 18. Employers are going to be recruiting 18 year olds minimum unless they are offering an apprenticeship/training course

My oldest left at 16. She worked in a shop. She enjoyed it. She also is not academic. That is not an option for people now, in this current economic climate, or under the education system

I would like to see more apprenticeships which don't require masses of paperwork, for children like my DD. They don't seem to be materialising

gramercy everyone here seems to be saying the changes are too fast!!!

Has anyone in government said they want fewer people going to universities? And if they have, what has been the response of universities?

Sorry for gate crashing but I found this when I was reading about the proposed change. I'm doing my GCSEs at the moment and thought I would put a few things straight. No one at my school has been allowed to take a single resit, all of our exams have been taken this term, 27 in total. People do not cheat in coursework as we do controlled assessments, which are essentially exams. Again in the two year course there is no time to resit these.
Me and my peers have worked so hard for two years to hopefully get good grades. This sounds so immature but how would you like it if all of your work was undermined by people saying you only achieved what you did because it was easy?

Finally, our teachers have commented that the exams we've sat have been the hardest they've seen in recent times, and believe me no one I know has come out saying 'that was easy, definitely an A* for me' everyone is struggling.

That's just my view on it, maybe my peers are just a group of thickos though and are obviously not at all 'academic'..

Yes I would too lequeen.
Decent workmen who you can rely on!!!! I will always gladly pay top dollar.

Presumably you mean if you had done some studying LeQueen. Not just that you could sit any exam paper now. I wonder how eloquently you would answer the questions on an A2 Physics paper...

Really, the Govt are trying to keep everyone in education until they're 18? WTAF for?? that is just torture to someone who is academically ungifted in any way. In Australia (well, NSW anyway) children can leave at 15 IF they have a job/traineeship to go to; otherwise they have to stay on to do their HSC. But the jobs have to be there - traineeships etc. have to be part of the workplace.

They really really need more vocational, artisan, apprenticeship-style training to be brought back and I don't see why they should start at 18.

And I dare say you could study how to put up a shelf too.

Practical skills are not the preserve of the academically mediocre...