options - Btec business and ICT

[southeastastra]

or gcse business studies.

any views? totally confused.

anyone?

The Btec courses tend to be portfolio based (I don;'t know about this one so I can't give you totaly relevant advice) which are good if kids get stressed and do badly in exam conditions, are not good at extended writing etc etc.

The Btec scinece course is all portfolio and thus needs kids to be good regular attenders, or they miss out on stuff and their portfolio suffers. They also need the kids to plug away regularly, they can't cram in the last few weeks IYSWIM.

not sure if this is any help to you!

thanks mb i suppose it all the 'btec is equalivant to 4 gcses' which i don't get really.

I asked this a few weeks ago, but am still confused. Even asked the teacher but couldn't get a clear answer. Ds1 decided to avoid the Btec routes and go for GCSE in business studies.

I just get the niggling feeling that BTECs aren't "proper" Gcses.

snaffy i feel the same! i read they're a better qualification than gcse, then as they're maked purely on coursework they aren't worth as much. it's very confusing isn't it.

saffy

There is a perception, by some, that they are a 'lesser' qualification, but the government , via the QCA insist that they are comperable with a GCSE pass.

They are examined by portfolio/ course work, but this is done in quite a rigorous way.

They show that children have attained a certain level of work, and this may have taken several attempts, but since GCSEs became modular, the same thing is true (to a degree)

For the right child they can be excellent, give the student a chance to show what they can do, no being tested to show what they can't do.

However if they don't give 'value' as far as employers are concerned, they may well go the same way as the old CSEs

thanks mb i think he will go the gcse route. he can also do a btec in aviation studies if he wants . there are so many new options this year.

I don't know about BTEECS at GCSE level. But BTECS at A level are very intensive and involve a lot of hard work.