Forced GCSE resits not scrapped for grade 3s

[noblegiraffe]

Anyone who gets a 3 in maths or English this summer will have to enrol on a GCSE resit course in September, contrary to reports from last week that they would be able to sit Functional skills instead.

feweek.co.uk/2017/04/10/decision-to-retain-forced-maths-and-english-gcse-resits-extremely-disappointing

I've read the report Noble - I can sort of understand the grade 3 students resitting GCSE - maybe they CAN achieve the grade 4 and improve their long term job/college prospects. What about those with a grade 1 or 2, will they be able to do functional skills?

these kids don't know whether they are coming or going.

What they need is a decent numeracy exam, not to have to resit time and again something that many of them just won't get. Forced resist are not the same as allowing them to resist if they want a pass mark. By 6th form they are old enough to make that decision.

Quite right that they should resit. It will help their life channced with a job. There aren't any really recognised exams, other than GCSEs, tat employers will recognise.

Chances, not channced. Apologies, think I need the Eng Lang resit.

This results day is going to be a complete disaster isn't it?

There are kids who will simply never pass gcse at 4 or c in old money. It's not good enough to say that employers don't recognise other quals. We need to make decent, recognised numeracy and literacy qualifications to acknowledge the perfectly serviceable, practical skills that these kids DO have.
I am an English teacher, BTW, so am not talking entirely out of my arse, a la so many education policy makers.

Take your point MrsWooster. But employers will not be so open minded as to accept anything other than GCSEs in Eng and Maths.

maybe they CAN achieve the grade 4 and improve their long term job/college prospects

This seems like a reasonable argument, however only 26.9% of resitters passed English and 29.5% passed maths GCSE. A huge amount of time, effort and money and the vast majority still failed.

Es and below could sit functional skills.

GCSE resit classes tend to be a couple of hours a week alongside the students' main courses. Trying to get them to pass in about half the number of hours what they couldn't manage the year previously while they are also having to cope with what sixth form throws at them is quite a big ask. They finish their exams in June, spend the next couple of months forgetting all their maths, then have to remember it all again. The lessons are just about enough to stop them getting worse and any homework tends to be put to the bottom of the pile under their A-level load/BTEC coursework.

As indicated in the January 2017 Industrial Strategy Green Paper, the
Government is reviewing provision of English and maths for students enrolled in the 16-19 study programme. Any changes as a result of this review, including to align with wider technical education reforms will be communicated with institutions before the start of the
relevant funding year.
That will be the 31st of August then

I am well middle aged and did functional maths, level 2 not so long ago through family learning.
It was a useful course and I am proud of my achievement.
I find it upsetting that such a course is being dismissed for young people.

When people go 'employers want young people to have these qualifications' what is usually the case is that employers want young people to have exactly the skills tested in the functional skills qualification - excellent numeracy, clear writing, grammar and comprehension skills. Employers who care whether their new hires can solve a quadratic equation or analyse a poem usually want higher qualifications anyway.