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Michael Gove forced into U-turn on GCSE replacement plan Michael Gove forced into U-turn on GCSE replacement plan
(35 minutes later)
Michael Gove will announce on Thursday that he has abandoned his plans to replace GCSEs with a new English Baccalaureate certificate (EBC) after mounting concern within the coalition and from education groups that the change was untested and far too rapid. Michael Gove will announce on Thursday that he has abandoned his plans to replace GCSEs with a new English Baccalaureate certificate (EBC) after mounting concern within the coalition and from education groups.
In what will be seen as a humiliating reverse for the education secretary, for whom the shakeup of exams for 16-year–olds was a major chunk of his agenda, Gove will make a statement to the Commons on Thursday announcing the decision.In what will be seen as a humiliating reverse for the education secretary, for whom the shakeup of exams for 16-year–olds was a major chunk of his agenda, Gove will make a statement to the Commons on Thursday announcing the decision.
While Gove has consistently rejected the notion he might one day replace David Cameron, his breakneck-paced, highly ideological programme for the Department for Education has won him many fans within the Conservative party and the media, albeit arguably less so in the country at large. But such an unexpected and public U-turn on a major policy will be seen as definite blow to the Gove brand. Gove's breakneck and highly ideological programme for the Department for Education has won him many fans within the Conservative party and the media, albeit arguably less so in the country at large. But such an unexpected and public U-turn on a major policy will be seen as a definite blow to the Gove brand.
He had faced concern from not just teaching unions but also the exams watchdog, Ofqual, and the influential all-party education committee, which warned last month that the plan amounted to "too much, too quickly".He had faced concern from not just teaching unions but also the exams watchdog, Ofqual, and the influential all-party education committee, which warned last month that the plan amounted to "too much, too quickly".
It is understood the change of plan was primarily forced by a combination of opposition from Liberal Democrats and reservations from Ofqual.It is understood the change of plan was primarily forced by a combination of opposition from Liberal Democrats and reservations from Ofqual.
In November Ofqual's chief regulator, Glenys Stacey, wrote to Gove to warn him that his ambitions for the English Baccalaureate certificate "may exceed what is realistically achievable through a single assessment". Though politely worded, the meaning was clear: the regulator viewed the change as unworkable as planned. In November, Ofqual's chief regulator, Glenys Stacey, wrote to Gove to warn him that his ambitions for the English Baccalaureate certificate "may exceed what is realistically achievable through a single assessment". Though politely worded, the meaning was clear: the regulator viewed the change as unworkable as planned.
The Liberal Democrat input is the second time they have helped thwart Gove's policies in this area. Last year, Nick Clegg lobbied hard for the Department for Education to drop plans leaked to newspapers about a two-tier replacement for the GCSE, billed by some as a return to O-levels and CSEs. The Liberal Democrat input is the second time they have helped thwart Gove's policies. Last year, Nick Clegg lobbied hard for the Department for Education to drop plans leaked to newspapers about a two-tier replacement for the GCSE, billed by some as a return to O-levels and CSEs.
Another motivation is understood to be civil service warnings that the decision to give single exam boards responsibility for setting exams in a particular core subject could counter EU rules on public service contracts.Another motivation is understood to be civil service warnings that the decision to give single exam boards responsibility for setting exams in a particular core subject could counter EU rules on public service contracts.
The U-turn was seized on by Labour, who described it as "a humiliating climbdown" for Gove. Stephen Twigg, the shadow education secretary, said: "It shows why he should have listened to business leaders, headteachers and experts in the first place and not come up with a plan on the back of an envelope."The U-turn was seized on by Labour, who described it as "a humiliating climbdown" for Gove. Stephen Twigg, the shadow education secretary, said: "It shows why he should have listened to business leaders, headteachers and experts in the first place and not come up with a plan on the back of an envelope."
The education secretary unveiled the new qualifications in September last year. The GCSE, near-ubiquitous in post-16 education in much of the UK since the late 1980s, would be replaced by an English Baccalaureate Certificate, with the first students beginning syllabuses in English, maths and sciences from 2015, with exams in 2017, to be followed by history, geography and languages. The education secretary unveiled the new qualifications in September last year. The GCSE would be replaced by an English Baccalaureate certificate, with the first students beginning syllabuses in English, maths and sciences from 2015, with exams in 2017, to be followed by history, geography and languages.
Gove argued GCSEs were discredited and insufficiently rigorous and the new certificate would provide a more challenging and aspirational alternative. Critics, however, as well as condemning the rush, said the change would make pupils' focus too restricted. Tech companies lobbied for computer science to be added to the set of core subjects and many from the arts world complained the new qualification would squeeze out creative subjects, with interjections from sources as varied as Jude Law and Tracey Emin.
Critics, however, as well as condemning the timetable as rushed, said the change would make pupils' focus too restricted. Tech companies lobbied for computer science to be added to the set of core subjects, something agreed by the DfE last month. However, the most significant political blows came first with Stacey's letter to Gove, copied to Sir Michael Wilshaw, the chief inspector at Ofsted. Stacey warned against the single-exam-board-per-subject idea and said the qualification's role in assessing schools and could lead to "more limited" teaching as pupils crammed.
Many from the arts world complained that the new qualification would squeeze out creative subjects, with interjections from sources as varied as Jude Law and Tracey Emin.
More worrying for Gove was a major CBI report on changes to education, released around the same time, which recommended ending all major exams at 16, in place of new exams at 14 and 18.
However, the most significant political blows came first with Stacey's letter to Gove, copied to copied to Sir Michael Wilshaw, the chief inspector at Ofsted. Stacey warned against the single-exam-board-per-subject idea and said the qualification's role in assessing schools and could lead to "more limited" teaching as teachers crammed pupils.
The report from the education select committee was more damning still, with Graham Stuart, the Conservative MP who heads it, saying he could not even see a case for dispensing with GCSEs.The report from the education select committee was more damning still, with Graham Stuart, the Conservative MP who heads it, saying he could not even see a case for dispensing with GCSEs.
The committee warned particularly about the impact on less able pupils of the plan for those who did not complete an EBC to be given a so-called statement of achievement rather than an actual qualification. These could easily become a "badge of failure", Stuart warned.The committee warned particularly about the impact on less able pupils of the plan for those who did not complete an EBC to be given a so-called statement of achievement rather than an actual qualification. These could easily become a "badge of failure", Stuart warned.
Gove will nonetheless press ahead with his wider plans to bring in what he sees as a much-needed return to a more fact-based, exam-tested approach to school learning. Gove will nonetheless press ahead with his wider plans to bring in what he sees as a much-needed return to a more fact-based, exam-tested approach to learning.
This philosophy, much influenced by US thinkers such as the educationalist ED Hirsch and Daniel Willingham, a cognitive psychologist, was set out in a speech on Tuesday night in which Gove lambasted what he views as four decades of wasted potential through progressive education methods. This philosophy was set out in a speech on Tuesday night. Notable in retrospect was that Gove made no mention of the planned new qualification, although he did talk up an existing system for grading schools based on the percentage of pupils who pass GCSEs in a series of core subjects, confusingly also called the English baccalaureate, but known as Ebacc.
Notable in retrospect was that Gove made no mention of the planned new qualification, although he did talk up an existing system for grading schools based on the percentage of pupils who pass GCSEs in a series of core subjects, confusingly also called the English baccalaureate, but known as Ebacc.