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/education-22841266
The article has changed 17 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| GCSEs: New-look tougher exams revealed | GCSEs: New-look tougher exams revealed |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| New-look GCSEs for schools in England are to be unveiled, with exams graded from eight to one rather than A* to G. | New-look GCSEs for schools in England are to be unveiled, with exams graded from eight to one rather than A* to G. |
| From 2015, GCSEs will move from coursework and continuous assessment to exams at the end of two years. | From 2015, GCSEs will move from coursework and continuous assessment to exams at the end of two years. |
| Pupils will face more rigorous content, with those studying English, for example, having to read a 19th-Century novel and a whole Shakespeare play. | Pupils will face more rigorous content, with those studying English, for example, having to read a 19th-Century novel and a whole Shakespeare play. |
| The National Union of Teachers (NUT) accused the government of not consulting properly on the changes. | The National Union of Teachers (NUT) accused the government of not consulting properly on the changes. |
| Wales and Northern Ireland are keeping GCSEs, but so far are not adopting the changes proposed for England. | Wales and Northern Ireland are keeping GCSEs, but so far are not adopting the changes proposed for England. |
| There is no sign of a change in name to I-level for the English exams - as had been suggested. The format, though, may be familiar to anyone who once took O-levels. | There is no sign of a change in name to I-level for the English exams - as had been suggested. The format, though, may be familiar to anyone who once took O-levels. |
| Key changes from autumn 2015 | Key changes from autumn 2015 |
| The changes to GCSEs in England will be presented on Tuesday in two reports. Exam regulator Ofqual will explain how the exams will be structured and ministers will give details of the course content. | The changes to GCSEs in England will be presented on Tuesday in two reports. Exam regulator Ofqual will explain how the exams will be structured and ministers will give details of the course content. |
| The reforms will initially apply to a group of core subjects - English language and literature, maths, physics, chemistry, biology, combined science, history and geography. | The reforms will initially apply to a group of core subjects - English language and literature, maths, physics, chemistry, biology, combined science, history and geography. |
| 'Whole books' | |
| Hundreds of thousands of pupils will begin studying these revised GCSEs from autumn 2015 and the first candidates to take the exams will be in summer 2017. | Hundreds of thousands of pupils will begin studying these revised GCSEs from autumn 2015 and the first candidates to take the exams will be in summer 2017. |
| Apart from exceptions such as practical experiments in science, there will be a strong push towards exams being taken at the end of two years, rather than in individual units during the course. | Apart from exceptions such as practical experiments in science, there will be a strong push towards exams being taken at the end of two years, rather than in individual units during the course. |
| Grading will be by numbers rather than letters - with eight at the top and one at the bottom. The pass mark will be pushed higher, with claims that it will be pitched at the level of the highest-performing school systems, such as Finland and Shanghai, which have topped international rankings. | Grading will be by numbers rather than letters - with eight at the top and one at the bottom. The pass mark will be pushed higher, with claims that it will be pitched at the level of the highest-performing school systems, such as Finland and Shanghai, which have topped international rankings. |
| The new GCSEs will represent a push for a more stretching, essay-based exam system, reminiscent of O-levels, taken by pupils until the late 1980s. | The new GCSEs will represent a push for a more stretching, essay-based exam system, reminiscent of O-levels, taken by pupils until the late 1980s. |
| In history there will be more essays and fewer short-form questions, and the removal of a controlled assessment. | In history there will be more essays and fewer short-form questions, and the removal of a controlled assessment. |
| In English, responding to concerns that pupils were only reading chunks of books, there will be a requirement to read whole works and an expectation that pupils will study a wider range of of writing from different eras. | In English, responding to concerns that pupils were only reading chunks of books, there will be a requirement to read whole works and an expectation that pupils will study a wider range of of writing from different eras. |
| Maths will promote the idea of developing independent problem-solving skills, rather than setting types of questions that can be rehearsed. | Maths will promote the idea of developing independent problem-solving skills, rather than setting types of questions that can be rehearsed. |
| This is the latest stage in Education Secretary Michael Gove's drive to reconfigure the exam system. | This is the latest stage in Education Secretary Michael Gove's drive to reconfigure the exam system. |
| Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said: "We are taking steps with the existing exams to make them as good as possible. | Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said: "We are taking steps with the existing exams to make them as good as possible. |
| "But we do need to start competing against those top performing countries in the world because for too long we've pretended that students results are getting better when all that's been happening is the exams have been getting easier and it's been a race to the bottom between the exam boards and we need to stop that happening now. | "But we do need to start competing against those top performing countries in the world because for too long we've pretended that students results are getting better when all that's been happening is the exams have been getting easier and it's been a race to the bottom between the exam boards and we need to stop that happening now. |
| 'Culture of resits' | 'Culture of resits' |
| Conservative MP and former schools minister Nick Gibb said the changes would end the "culture of resits" in which pupils were "taking exam after exam to bank grades". | |
| Mr Gibb said the changes were being made to "eliminate grade inflation" and would create a new focus on essay writing. | Mr Gibb said the changes were being made to "eliminate grade inflation" and would create a new focus on essay writing. |
| "It has to happen. There's been concern for many years about grade inflation in the GCSE exam and with the proliferation of resits and modular exams in GCSEs there's been a real concern about standards. | "It has to happen. There's been concern for many years about grade inflation in the GCSE exam and with the proliferation of resits and modular exams in GCSEs there's been a real concern about standards. |
| "It's a concern shared right across the political spectrum." | "It's a concern shared right across the political spectrum." |
| Last year, Mr Gove announced plans for the scrapping of GCSEs and their replacement with English Baccalaureate Certificates, with each subject to be set by a single exam board. | Last year, Mr Gove announced plans for the scrapping of GCSEs and their replacement with English Baccalaureate Certificates, with each subject to be set by a single exam board. |
| This re-branding was scrapped, with GCSEs to be retained but reformed instead. | This re-branding was scrapped, with GCSEs to be retained but reformed instead. |
| Christine Blower, head of the NUT, said the the government's approach was "rushed". | Christine Blower, head of the NUT, said the the government's approach was "rushed". |
| "If you did this by consensus, by actually talking to the profession and understanding how best to examine things, we would be in a much better position than this highly-politicised approach that the current government has. | |
| "We all want children and young people to be extraordinarily well taught and to do the very best that they can but you don't just do that by, in a rapid way, changing the whole basis of the system. " | "We all want children and young people to be extraordinarily well taught and to do the very best that they can but you don't just do that by, in a rapid way, changing the whole basis of the system. " |
| The latest plans will be put out to consultation over the summer, with a timetable that will see the exam boards preparing to produce courses that can be accredited by Ofqual to be taught in schools from autumn 2015. | The latest plans will be put out to consultation over the summer, with a timetable that will see the exam boards preparing to produce courses that can be accredited by Ofqual to be taught in schools from autumn 2015. |
| These changes are for exams in England. The prospect of different forms of GCSEs in Wales and Northern Ireland has raised the question of how they will be distinguished from each other. | These changes are for exams in England. The prospect of different forms of GCSEs in Wales and Northern Ireland has raised the question of how they will be distinguished from each other. |
| It had been suggested that in England the exam could be re-branded as I-levels, but this is not expected to be adopted and it is believed that so far no name change has been decided. | It had been suggested that in England the exam could be re-branded as I-levels, but this is not expected to be adopted and it is believed that so far no name change has been decided. |
| England and Wales | England and Wales |
| Meanwhile, MPs on the Commons Education Select Committee warned the plans showed relations between ministers in England and Wales were "clearly under strain", and called for the continuation of "three-country qualifications and regulation". | Meanwhile, MPs on the Commons Education Select Committee warned the plans showed relations between ministers in England and Wales were "clearly under strain", and called for the continuation of "three-country qualifications and regulation". |
| Chairman Graham Stuart said members were "concerned that there is a rush towards separate exam systems for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, without careful reflection on what might be lost, or consensus that this is the right thing to do". | Chairman Graham Stuart said members were "concerned that there is a rush towards separate exam systems for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, without careful reflection on what might be lost, or consensus that this is the right thing to do". |
| "The turmoil surrounding last summer's GCSE English results highlights the importance of carefully developing new sets of exams," he stressed. | "The turmoil surrounding last summer's GCSE English results highlights the importance of carefully developing new sets of exams," he stressed. |
| "A series of avoidable errors were made when the current GCSE English was being designed under the previous government." | "A series of avoidable errors were made when the current GCSE English was being designed under the previous government." |
| Labour's shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg attacked the proposals. | Labour's shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg attacked the proposals. |
| "Pupils and parents will be concerned by the uncertainty that Michael Gove has created around GCSEs. Having first talked down their value and then failed in his attempt to scrap them, the education secretary is having another go at setting out his plans." | "Pupils and parents will be concerned by the uncertainty that Michael Gove has created around GCSEs. Having first talked down their value and then failed in his attempt to scrap them, the education secretary is having another go at setting out his plans." |
| "We need changes to assessments in schools that will strengthen rigour and reflect the best ways of testing skills and knowledge. Encouraging more shallow learning of facts alone will not help young people to be prepared for the jobs of tomorrow," said Mr Twigg. | |
| But a senior Department for Education source said: "We are reversing the devaluation of the exam system that Labour and the unions encouraged. | But a senior Department for Education source said: "We are reversing the devaluation of the exam system that Labour and the unions encouraged. |
| "GCSEs will again be exams at the end of two years instead of being broken up into low quality modules. Coursework, corrupted by cheating, will be limited." | "GCSEs will again be exams at the end of two years instead of being broken up into low quality modules. Coursework, corrupted by cheating, will be limited." |
| The source added: "Exams will test higher level skills - such as more essay writing, problem-solving and mathematical modelling - that universities and businesses desperately need." | The source added: "Exams will test higher level skills - such as more essay writing, problem-solving and mathematical modelling - that universities and businesses desperately need." |