This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21363396
The article has changed 14 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Planned switch from GCSEs to Baccalaureate in England 'abandoned' | Planned switch from GCSEs to Baccalaureate in England 'abandoned' |
| (35 minutes 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. | 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. | Labour said it was a "humiliating climbdown" for Mr Gove. |
| The plans for the new qualification, announced in September, are set to be shelved, with GCSEs expected to be retained, despite having been condemned by the education secretary. | |
| The new baccalaureate certificate was billed by the government as having a tougher syllabus, with exams at the end of the course in a return to an O-level style traditional qualification. | The new baccalaureate certificate was billed by the government as having a tougher syllabus, with exams at the end of the course in a return to an O-level style traditional qualification. |
| The changes being outlined by Mr Gove later are still expected to include plans to reduce the role played by course work in GCSEs. | The changes being outlined by Mr Gove later are still expected to include plans to reduce the role played by course work in GCSEs. |
| BBC political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue said this was a "major U-turn" on what was a flagship policy for Mr Gove and an important symbol of his determination to raise standards. | |
| A senior Whitehall source said a range of factors conspired to bring an end to the plans, including opposition from the regulator and concerns introducing a single exam board for each subject could be challenged in the courts under European Union rules. | |
| Lib Dem sources indicated they regarded this as a coalition decision not a policy victory for their party, our correspondent added. | |
| Conservative MP Nick Gibb told the BBC's Today programme the reversal was not a U-turn but a "tweak" to a broader package of reforms. | |
| 'Red light' | 'Red light' |
| The proposals for the new qualifications were met by intense criticism from teaching unions. | The proposals for the new qualifications 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 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 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 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 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 the proposed changes were being rushed and risked damaging the exam system. | The cross-party report warned 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 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 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. |
| Mr Gove has already set out the principles arguing there should be a clear set of core information 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 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 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". |
| He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "This is a humiliating climbdown for Michael Gove but more important than that it is really good news for education. | He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "This is a humiliating climbdown for Michael Gove but more important than that it is really good news for education. |
| "The proposal risked turning the clock back to the kind of exam system that we had when I was at school that wrote a lot of young people off at 14 but it also crowded out a lot of very important parts of the curriculum..." | "The proposal risked turning the clock back to the kind of exam system that we had when I was at school that wrote a lot of young people off at 14 but it also crowded out a lot of very important parts of the curriculum..." |
| Mr Twigg added: "I am very much in favour of having trough rigorous exams alongside tough rigorous assessment. One of the problems with what he had proposed was moving purely to exams in every course and I don't think that makes sense for some courses..... | Mr Twigg added: "I am very much in favour of having trough rigorous exams alongside tough rigorous assessment. One of the problems with what he had proposed was moving purely to exams in every course and I don't think that makes sense for some courses..... |
| "We've lost over six months with these failed proposals... I will work with Michael Gove to listen to the world of education, listen to the world of business so we get a set of changes that can last for a generation." | "We've lost over six months with these failed proposals... I will work with Michael Gove to listen to the world of education, listen to the world of business so we get a set of changes that can last for a generation." |
| 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. |
| Plan to scrap GCSEs 'abandoned' | Plan to scrap GCSEs 'abandoned' |