Gove’s boring English GCSE blamed for plummeting A-level uptake

[noblegiraffe]

A survey of 200 schools has shown a collapse in English language A-level entry with some schools now with ‘unsustainable’ class sizes.

The blame is aimed at Gove’s English GCSE reform.

I’m not sure the aim of Gove’s ‘more rigorous’ GCSEs was to turn pupils off from further academic study, but here we are.

The response from the DfE is “The Department for Education's position is that the new GCSEs are more rigorous, prepare pupils for the world of work and were implemented after a long and careful process of reform.”

Which is bloody hilarious for anyone who remembers the implementation of the new GCSEs. Long and careful the process was most definitely not.

www.tes.com/news/schools-dropping-level-english-due-tedious-gcse

One for @piggywaspushed

noble your thread is stressing me out! Last time we posted about this all the my DS/DD hates English people piled on and made me cry.

I have just shouted at a parliamentary candidate about education so am bruising for a cruising, as we say in Glasgow.

I did history of medicine in my history GCSE in 1991 so don’t think it’s new.

I’m just waiting for the carry through into HE of students who have not done extended pieces of writing in coursework who suddenly need to write in the correct academic style at Uni. It’s a big leap up anyway but I think there will probably need to be more support interventions.

It's 15 teen : it really isn't that many and they are linked some of them are a bit shit though

Glad to hear your DD likes it so far!

I didn't say DD was liking it (though actually she is) I said I was liking it. Helped by the fact they are going to do Macbeth and AIC so we've had that as an excuse to go to see both live.

With the old GCSE it seemed to be study part of the book/play, or focus only on one aspect, do a CA, then swiftly on to the next random thing.

Agree with English Lang though, it's all 'how to answer question X'

I agree about the extended writing : it's gone from a lot of A Levels ,too, as has any element of research. Stuff stuff stuff the facts in!

My DD loved the poetry too.

Oh dear teen, I need to improve my reading skills, or, as they call it these days, my 'inference and deduction, crucial in papers 1 and 2 of the English Language exam'

English Literature A level is hugely popular at dds school (private if that makes a difference). They do Igcse English lit which I think might be more interesting than standard gcse english lit.

I'm ashamed to say I didn't even realise English language A level existed dds school don't do it

I find my pupils generally really enjoy each poem individually, but struggle to compare.

Eng Lang A level is apparently about the acquisition of language in children and the origin of accents in different regions so completely different to gcse. I’d love to study that.

My DD is actually considering English Literature as an A level choice.
English Language, however, is a big NO!
Strangely enough, she grasps the grammatical structure of other languages easily.
A quick peruse of MN boards will show many DC who have attained the highest grades in ‘essay based’ subjects, yet have a much lower grade in GCSE English Language.
Too be naughty, in some STEM subjects the ability to write in a ‘sophisticated manner’ gains extra marks
IMO English Language GCSE is too prescriptive. Having said that, perhaps being ‘ready for the world of work’ needs pit pat answers?
You really couldn’t make it up....

Eng Lang a level isn’t about SPAG though.

Don’t really see the decline as a bad thing if more people are going into STEM. That’s more relevant to the skills shortage in this country. Dh is head of recruitment for a big nuclear company and is acutely aware of the upcoming skills gap. The more STEM the better. The world really doesn’t need a load of BA graduates.

The marking of English Language has been 'odd' at best, I think. I've taught pupils with 8 in Lit and only 5 in Lang, which just doesn't really make sense.

My DDs get their highest grades in Lit and Lang so go against that.

The world needs graduates of all kinds olive.

lilonly really in the second year. the first year is a bit dry...

What’s in the first year @Piggywaspushed?

Stuff about writing and reading in different forms for different audiences. I don't teach it but we do AS at my place.

At DD’s school the information pamphlet mentions languages variation since 17th century and different uses for purpose, language acquisition 0-8 yrs and theories on this, dialects and a coursework unit on a specific genre to complete 2 pieces of creative writing in that genre.

Probably makes a difference that my DD’s school is single sex. Perhaps English is more popular with girls.

That's all in the full A Level lil

Yes that’s what she wants to do. Her school doesn’t do AS levels.

No, most don't. She'll enjoy it and the school may change the teaching order anyway, hopefully!

ProggyMat dd got 9s for English Lit, RS and Drama but only a 6 for English Language.