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| Planned switch from GCSEs to Baccalaureate in England 'abandoned' | Planned switch from GCSEs to Baccalaureate in England 'abandoned' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent | By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent |
| Plans to scrap GCSEs in key subjects in England and replace them with an English Baccalaureate Certificate are set to be abandoned by the government. | Plans to scrap GCSEs in key subjects in England and replace them with an English Baccalaureate Certificate are set to be abandoned by the government. |
| The reversal is expected to be announced in the Commons later, alongside changes to the curriculum. | The reversal is expected to be announced in the Commons later, alongside changes to the curriculum. |
| Education Secretary Michael Gove had planned to bring in the baccalaureate certificate from autumn 2015, but faced criticism from MPs and teaching unions. | |
| Labour said it was a "humiliating climbdown" for Mr Gove. | |
| The plans for the new qualification, which were announced last September, are set to be shelved, with GCSEs expected to be retained, despite having been condemned by the education secretary. | |
| 'Red light' | 'Red light' |
| The arrival of the new qualifications had been billed as a return to an O-level style traditional qualification, but the proposals were met by intense criticism from teaching unions. | The arrival of the new qualifications had been billed as a return to an O-level style traditional qualification, but the proposals were met by intense criticism from teaching unions. |
| The original plan had been for the first candidates to take the new-look exams in 2017, initially in three core subject areas, English, maths and sciences, with an extension later to history, geography and languages. | The original plan had been for the first candidates to take the new-look exams in 2017, initially in three core subject areas, English, maths and sciences, with an extension later to history, geography and languages. |
| The plan to have one exam board for each subject is also set to be scrapped. | The plan to have one exam board for each subject is also set to be scrapped. |
| Doubts had been raised about the feasibility of awarding the franchises for subjects within the timetable set for the new qualifications, which were to be taught from autumn 2015. | Doubts had been raised about the feasibility of awarding the franchises for subjects within the timetable set for the new qualifications, which were to be taught from autumn 2015. |
| Exam regulator Ofqual had written to Mr Gove suggesting that this should not go ahead at the same time as the other changes planned for GCSEs and A-levels. | Exam regulator Ofqual had written to Mr Gove suggesting that this should not go ahead at the same time as the other changes planned for GCSEs and A-levels. |
| Last week a report from the Commons education select committee had issued a "red light" warning to the government, urging it to slow down and rethink its proposed changes to GCSEs and the exam system. | Last week a report from the Commons education select committee had issued a "red light" warning to the government, urging it to slow down and rethink its proposed changes to GCSEs and the exam system. |
| The cross-party report warned that the proposed changes were being rushed and risked damaging the exam system. | The cross-party report warned that the proposed changes were being rushed and risked damaging the exam system. |
| MPs' criticisms had been echoed by teachers and head teachers' unions. | MPs' criticisms had been echoed by teachers and head teachers' unions. |
| Mr Gove is expected to announce changes to the performance measures used in school league tables. | Mr Gove is expected to announce changes to the performance measures used in school league tables. |
| There will be a new eight-subject measure of GCSEs, including English and maths, three subjects out of sciences, languages, history and geography and three other subjects, such as art, music or RE. | There will be a new eight-subject measure of GCSEs, including English and maths, three subjects out of sciences, languages, history and geography and three other subjects, such as art, music or RE. |
| Russell Hobby, leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, said on Twitter that such accountability measures would be vital "because no exam system, reformed or not, can survive the current pressures and incentives". | Russell Hobby, leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, said on Twitter that such accountability measures would be vital "because no exam system, reformed or not, can survive the current pressures and incentives". |
| The announcements on abandoning plans for the new qualifications come alongside the publication of changes to the curriculum for primary and secondary schools. | The announcements on abandoning plans for the new qualifications come alongside the publication of changes to the curriculum for primary and secondary schools. |
| Details are to be published later, but Mr Gove has already set out the principles of a new curriculum. | Details are to be published later, but Mr Gove has already set out the principles of a new curriculum. |
| He has argued that there should be a clear set of core information that pupils should learn in areas such as maths, science, history and literature. | He has argued that there should be a clear set of core information that pupils should learn in areas such as maths, science, history and literature. |
| 'Entirely wrong' | 'Entirely wrong' |
| Labour's shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg, who said that Mr Gove should have heeded the advice of head teachers and business leaders, attacked the exam plans as having been put together "on the back of an envelope". | Labour's shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg, who said that Mr Gove should have heeded the advice of head teachers and business leaders, attacked the exam plans as having been put together "on the back of an envelope". |
| "Pupils and parents need certainty now. Michael Gove must now make clear whether he will abandon his narrow, out-of-date plans altogether or merely try to delay them. | "Pupils and parents need certainty now. Michael Gove must now make clear whether he will abandon his narrow, out-of-date plans altogether or merely try to delay them. |
| "He needs to go back to the drawing board and develop a curriculum and exam system that meets our future challenges as a country. | "He needs to go back to the drawing board and develop a curriculum and exam system that meets our future challenges as a country. |
| "Labour wants to work with the government to forge a long-term consensus on exam and curriculum reform. We would welcome cross-party talks." | "Labour wants to work with the government to forge a long-term consensus on exam and curriculum reform. We would welcome cross-party talks." |
| The general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Christine Blower, welcomed the news. | The general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Christine Blower, welcomed the news. |
| "We are absolutely delighted that Michael Gove has had to do a U-turn on this," she said. | "We are absolutely delighted that Michael Gove has had to do a U-turn on this," she said. |
| "We have amassed a very big coalition of our own around the fact that introducing the E-Bac was entirely the wrong thing to do, certainly in the kind of timescale that Mr Gove had in mind, so we think this is a very good move and we're very pleased." | "We have amassed a very big coalition of our own around the fact that introducing the E-Bac was entirely the wrong thing to do, certainly in the kind of timescale that Mr Gove had in mind, so we think this is a very good move and we're very pleased." |
| Are you a student, teacher or parent? What do you think about this news? You can send us your comments and experiences using the form below. | Are you a student, teacher or parent? What do you think about this news? You can send us your comments and experiences using the form below. |