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| Planned switch from GCSEs to Baccalaureate in England 'abandoned' | Planned switch from GCSEs to Baccalaureate in England 'abandoned' |
| (about 1 hour 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 English Baccalaureate Certificates are set to be abandoned by the government. | Plans to scrap GCSEs in key subjects in England and replace them with English Baccalaureate Certificates are set to be abandoned by the government. |
| The reversal is set to be announced by the education secretary in the Commons later, alongside curriculum changes. | The reversal is set to be announced by the education secretary in the Commons later, alongside curriculum changes. |
| Michael Gove had planned to bring in what he said were more rigorous exams in some core subjects from 2015, but faced criticism from MPs and teachers. | Michael Gove had planned to bring in what he said were more rigorous exams in some core subjects from 2015, but faced criticism from MPs and teachers. |
| Labour said it was a "humiliating climbdown". | Labour said it was a "humiliating climbdown". |
| The change means plans for the new qualification, announced in September, will be shelved, while GCSEs are retained, despite having been condemned by the education secretary. | The change means plans for the new qualification, announced in September, will be shelved, while GCSEs are retained, despite having been condemned by the education secretary. |
| Grade inflation | Grade inflation |
| It comes after a damning report by the Commons education committee which said the changes would mean "too much, too fast" and could threaten exam quality. | It comes after a damning report by the Commons education committee which said the changes would mean "too much, too fast" and could threaten exam quality. |
| 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 plans being outlined by Mr Gove later are still expected to include plans to reduce the role played by coursework in GCSEs, changes to which have already begun. | The plans being outlined by Mr Gove later are still expected to include plans to reduce the role played by coursework in GCSEs, changes to which have already begun. |
| The schools minister and Tory MP Nick Gibb told the BBC's Today programme the reversal was more of a "tweak" to a broader package of reforms. | |
| He said the GCSE would be rigorous and "one of the best in the world", adding that there was agreement across the political spectrum that there had been grade inflation in results over the past few years. The plan now was for England's exams regulator to be a more effective guard against that, he said. | He said the GCSE would be rigorous and "one of the best in the world", adding that there was agreement across the political spectrum that there had been grade inflation in results over the past few years. The plan now was for England's exams regulator to be a more effective guard against that, he said. |
| But he added: "We have listened to the concerns raised by Ofqual and by the select committee." | But he added: "We have listened to the concerns raised by Ofqual and by the select committee." |
| The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said Michael Gove was about to perform a screeching U-turn on his plan to scrap GCSEs, an exam which has repeatedly described as discredited. | |
| A senior Whitehall source said a range of factors conspired to bring an end to the plans, including opposition from the regulator and concerns that introducing a single exam board for each subject could be challenged in the courts under European Union rules. | A senior Whitehall source said a range of factors conspired to bring an end to the plans, including opposition from the regulator and concerns that 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. | Lib Dem sources indicated they regarded this as a coalition decision not a policy victory for their party, our correspondent added. |
| 'Red light' | 'Red light' |
| However, the proposals for the new qualifications were met by intense criticism from teaching unions. | However, the proposals for the new qualifications were met by intense criticism from teaching unions. |
| The original plan had been for the first candidates to start courses in 2015 and take the new-look exams two years later, 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 start courses in 2015 and take the new-look exams two years later, initially in three core subject areas - English, maths and sciences - with an extension later to history, geography and languages. |
| There was a plan to have one exam board for each subject and this is also set to be scrapped. | There was a plan to have one exam board for each subject and this 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 the government had "slammed on the brakes just before the cliff face". | Russell Hobby, leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, said the government had "slammed on the brakes just before the cliff face". |
| He said it would have been impossible to implement what had been planned. | He said it would have been impossible to implement what had been planned. |
| The announcements on abandoning the new qualifications come alongside the publication of changes to the curriculum for primary and secondary schools. | The announcements on abandoning the new qualifications come alongside the publication of changes to the curriculum for primary and secondary schools. |
| The English Baccalaureate Certificate (EBC) was a key part of Michael Gove's plans to shake up England's exams system and "restore rigour" to it. | |
| It hit the buffers for political, practical and commercial reasons and in the face of strong opposition, not least from exams regulator Ofqual and MPs on the education select committee. | |
| The idea of an exam which was not for everyone was very unpopular with the Liberal Democrats and with teaching unions, who all warned of a move to a "two-tier" system or a return to the divisions of O-levels and CSEs. | |
| Pupils were due to begin studying for EBCs in some key subjects in 2015. They won't now, but other changes remain, such as the move towards exams at the end of two years rather than being taken in chunks and towards fewer resits. | |
| Mr Gove has already set out principles arguing there should be a clear set of core information pupils should learn in areas such as maths, science, history and literature. | Mr Gove has already set out 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 that he was in favour of "tough rigorous exams alongside tough rigorous assessment", but that moving to purely exams in every course did not make sense. | Mr Twigg added that he was in favour of "tough rigorous exams alongside tough rigorous assessment", but that moving to purely exams in every course did not make sense. |
| The general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Christine Blower, said she was delighted Mr Gove had made a U-turn. | The general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Christine Blower, said she was delighted Mr Gove had made a U-turn. |
| "We have amassed a very big coalition of our own around the fact that introducing the Ebacc 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 Ebacc 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. |