WTF Rishi Sunak abolishes Alevels

[Icedlatteplease]

Just what our kids need!!!.

It's hard enough to get maths teachers to GCSE let alone A levels. Most kids get the maths they need for day to day live by the start of secondary. Forcing kids who hate maths to remain in classrooms longer than they already need is wasting resources that could be better used on kids who actually want to do the subject

It's an absolute Joke. First time in my life I'll be voting Labour

Yes there's waffle about level 2 pathways and below that which they say will be very good for sen. But it is about 3 lines.
Essentially looks like no major changes just continue to streamline btec down to t levels, about 6500 courses left at Vocational lev 3 which is a bit much when there's about 50 max possible a levels? Then a few more lessons. Most kids taking a levels do maths or one English anyway, it's on the t levels and btec pathway too so rebrand. No retraining of teachers needed.

So only number 4 is a problem on that list.

Most kids taking a levels do maths or one English anyway.

They don't.

Actually the kids I know who took btechs loved them. One has just gone to university with btechs alone. I have no idea why we are abolishing them. Btechs and t levels (at least in their planning) both do have a different feel.

Most kids taking a levels do maths or one English anyway,

BECAUSE THEY WANT TO

Forcing kids who hate studying English and maths to study them for longer is not a small change.

But you can learn that level of maths on the job if you need to - I’m another that does data analysis with just a GCSE as a formal qualification, but I have been doing increasingly complex stuff with data for the best part of 20 years now.

I'm glad you said it. Because I really didn't think that was correct

Certainly amongst DDs friends

Maths is way easier to learn on the job when it is relevant and it actually matters to you personally.

When it's abstracted in the classroom it's waaaaayyy harder.

Lots of money to train non-existent maths teachers in a few years' time, none apparently to train SEN teachers of whom there is a dire shortage right now. Interesting set of priorities.

I agree with @Sodullincomparison that this won't happen. It's basically a soundbite and, face it, the Tories won't be in power to carry it through.

ds15 absolutely hates maths, even though on the rare occasion he is in a good mood he can do the work he just can’t stand it, so he will most likely just sit in the lesson and do nothing. He has asd so when he gets overwhelmed he can become non compliant.

It's very easy to promise to do stuff in a few years time when you know your party won't be in power.

https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeships?SearchField=All&Keywords=&Location=sw19&WithinDistance=0&ApprenticeshipLevel=Degree&DisabilityConfidentOnly=false&Latitude=&Longitude=&Hash=-1591914090&SearchMode=Keyword&Category=&LocationType=NonNational&GoogleMapApiKey=AIzaSyAg5lwS3ugdAVGf5gdgNvLe_0-7XcMICIM&sortType=Distance&SearchAction=Search&resultsPerPage=5&DisplayDescription=true&DisplayDistance=true&DisplayClosingDate=true&DisplayStartDate=true&DisplayApprenticeshipLevel=false&DisplayWage=false

This is where we send our students to look for apprenticships or a starting point at least

But these changes aren't being implemented for another decade? Rishi won't be priminister in ten years. I doubt he will be priminister a year from now. And if Conservatives win the next election, I am fucking emigrating.

I do agree that keeping your subjects Broad rather than having to choose three could be a good thing.

but I do think enforcing maths (and English) onto people till 18 is pointless. I mean if people have passed their gcse in those subjects what’s the point? They’ve already demonstrated they’re literate and numerate. If you’re not interested in maths why do you need a deeper level of maths than gcse? Which lets face it with quadratic equations, etc is already going to be more than sufficient for the majority of people.

like others have said there’s already a shortage of maths teachers, let’s focus on getting better maths provision at an earlier stage.

I do dislike this prioritising of certain subjects and the resulting message that other subjects aren’t as important. Imagine if he’d said Art had to be compulsory until 18! Just because Sunak likes maths doesn’t mean he needs to inflict it on everyone

Yeah I don't know why people aren't grasping this.

I think it's a terrible idea and agree with pp that people know by 16 if they want to continue with Maths or not. There's no benefit in forcing people who are not academic or simply hate it to study it beyond GCSE imo.

If I ruled the world, and given I don't work in education I accept in real life it might be a terrible idea, I would use years 7-9 to give as good a taste of as many subjects as possible, including economics, politics, plumbing, electrical work, brick laying, clothes making, touch typing and cooking from scratch.

After year 9 I'd have a system of grammars and technical schools but instead of streaming/testing for places I'd let the child choose themselves based on their own interests.

Both schools would have compulsory cooking though to try and improve the nation's health.

In my utopia I'd also make all nurseries bilingual!

Sounds great!

Another bullshit soundbite from someone who probably won’t be in charge in another year or so. The wolves are already circling.

Teflon Tories - they just can’t get a leader to stick!

@Passepartoute

If they threw money into early years and training any teacher in sen, in tips and tricks, use flexible reading routes and sometimes dropping phonics we would not need to push children at the other end.

They don't get it.

I also agree maths that is taught is useless and not useful in today's world.
I've never had to use hardly any of it and yet when it comes to key life issues it's budgeting and investing that literally male or break you

1. it's not the British anything. Education is a devolved matter.
2. maths is the most popular A-Level
3. we don't have enough English teachers for this.
4. we definitely don't have enough Maths teachers for this.
5. it won't happen.

I’m all for widening the curriculum until 18. But I think GCSEs need to be scrapped, they are no longer needed now kids have to stay in education till 18. We are are only country (as far as I know) that puts students through 2 lots of public exams. And we wonder why there is a mental health crisis??

I would like to see fewer exams, more continuous assessment and less pressure. Focus on the enjoyment of learning.

@bendmeoverbackwards children don't have to stay in education until they are 18. Not even in England.

They have to be in some sort of education or training until 18. It can be part time.

@bendmeoverbackwards yes or they can just do nothing and there's no consequences. It not an actual law. The authorities don't follow up/fine parents if their 16-18 year olds aren't in education or training.