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

DD1 got 9’s in lit and Lang. Hard to believe you can get such high grades in lit with average spag.

Whatever 'grades' pupils are being awarded in KS3 are, to all extents and purposes, made up and meaningless, quite frankly.

Just because your son didn't enjoy texts, doesn't mean that everybody doesn't, although I agree that the way they are taught can make a difference.

Did you share/encourage the view with your DS that the texts were boring and the teacher crap ? I do understand your frustration but a bit of faked parental enthusiasm goes a long way.

DD loved the texts. Othello,Streetcar Named Desire, The Beloved I think. Great teacher too. Very grateful to her.

Ooh, I teach those pretends to be the teacher!

A level? I do two out of the 3.

trewser I have to trust the school knows what it's doing. It has the best results in our area.

Pfft. My ds's two favourite subjects are History and English Literature. There is nothing wrong with the GCSE syllabus if taught well. It sounds like the main problem is demoralised teachers wrecking the enjoyment of perfectly good books, poems and plays by obsessing about exam questions. Ds's school offer both A-level Eng lang and A-level Eng lit. I do feel they push STEM subjects a fair bit, but that hasn't deflected ds.

@Peaseblossom22 sorry for the delayed reply, I have sought verification. It’s Cambridge, the offer was AAA, got in on AAB. Started this September.

My DD loves English, but told me that the GCSEs are just hoop jumping, so stultifying to have to stick to the mark scheme so rigidly and no extra marks for going over and above.

That said she got 2 9s, is doing for A level and wants to study English. She realised that like all GCSEs, you just have to get through it, then the interesting stuff starts.

That is good preparation for life, you sometimes have to do boring shit, tick boxes, jump through hoops, lay the foundations before the interesting stuff comes along!

(I am not defending M Gove who I would happily bury under a pile of manure with the rest of his party)

Blouseandskirt was that a contextual offer?

Dd's friends in upper sixth seem to be offered AAA or A A* A

Countess - I thought your DD was KGS? If so they are still sitting the CIE IGCSE English papers which are quite different. Gove couldn't touch IGCSEs.

It's still dull and hoop jumpy - I think that's the nature of GCSEs innit?

But you can't blame Gove!

Some of the other local Indys have swapped from the CIE English IGCSE papers and are finding the Gove GCSEs tougher. Ibstock swapped both this year and their 9-7 at Language has halved from 80% to 40%. The new GCSEs are nothing like the old ones, much tougher.

www.ibstockplaceschool.co.uk/senior-school/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/09/GCSE-Results-2016-2019.pdf

Why can't we blame Gove? Notwithstanding I blame him for everything , I don't follow your logic??

Ah , got you. You mean countess can't blame Gove...

Exactly Piggywaspushed. You can blame Gove but countess can't because he's been nowhere near IGCSEs.

Thank you. I shall carry on blaming him for everything.

I’ll blame him too especially when he was the first thing I saw on tv this morning with his smarmy drivel. Enough to put me off my breakfast!

Multiple crimes against alliteration! I think he was after a grade 9, or perhaps a distinction for his pointless speaking endorsement...

Countess Blouseandskirt was that a contextual offer?

I very much doubt it. A good comprehensive, he has never been on FSM /Pupil Premium, not living in social housing.

I actually don't know if she did igcse or gcse
according to the booklet they do EDUQAS GCSE but I don't know if that has changed for this year