This article is from the source 'guardian' 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.guardian.co.uk/education/2013/jun/11/gcse-demanding-rigorous-michael-gove
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| GCSEs to become more demanding and rigorous, says Michael Gove | GCSEs to become more demanding and rigorous, says Michael Gove |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Michael Gove has pledged to make GCSE qualifications in England "more demanding, more fulfilling and more stretching" as his department and the exam regulator published details of proposals to rely on final written examinations for grades, and scrap modular courses and classroom assessments. | Michael Gove has pledged to make GCSE qualifications in England "more demanding, more fulfilling and more stretching" as his department and the exam regulator published details of proposals to rely on final written examinations for grades, and scrap modular courses and classroom assessments. |
| The redesigned exam – tentatively known as GCSE (England) – was unveiled by the education secretary in a statement to the House of Commons, with the Department for Education releasing a series of public consultation documents on the detailed exam contents. | The redesigned exam – tentatively known as GCSE (England) – was unveiled by the education secretary in a statement to the House of Commons, with the Department for Education releasing a series of public consultation documents on the detailed exam contents. |
| The regulator Ofqual – which is responsible for maintaining exam standards in England – meanwhile published its own consultation document, which laid out its favoured proposals, including an unorthodox grading system, ranging from 8 as the highest mark to 1 as the lowest, to replace the more conventional A* to G scale of marks currently in use. | |
| "Young people in this country deserve an education system that can compete with the best in the world, a system which sets and achieves high expectations. Today's reforms are essential to achieve this goal," Gove said. | "Young people in this country deserve an education system that can compete with the best in the world, a system which sets and achieves high expectations. Today's reforms are essential to achieve this goal," Gove said. |
| "By making GCSEs more demanding, more fulfilling, and more stretching we can give our young people the broad, deep and balanced education which will equip them to win in the global race." | "By making GCSEs more demanding, more fulfilling, and more stretching we can give our young people the broad, deep and balanced education which will equip them to win in the global race." |
| The 600,000 pupils who take GCSEs each year in England will, from 2015, face what the DfE describes as more challenging course content, with the first of the revised exams being sat in 2017. The department highlights changes to mathematics, that will involve a greater amount of advanced algebra and statistics. | The 600,000 pupils who take GCSEs each year in England will, from 2015, face what the DfE describes as more challenging course content, with the first of the revised exams being sat in 2017. The department highlights changes to mathematics, that will involve a greater amount of advanced algebra and statistics. |
| The revised English literature GCSE will require study of at least one Shakespeare play, a selection of Romantic poetry, a 19th-century novel, a selection of poetry since 1850, and British fiction and drama written since the first world war. | The revised English literature GCSE will require study of at least one Shakespeare play, a selection of Romantic poetry, a 19th-century novel, a selection of poetry since 1850, and British fiction and drama written since the first world war. |
| The DfE's consultation paper on the content of GCSE history says a minimum 40% of content will be British history, and include at least one study "from the medieval (500-1500), early modern (1450-1750) or modern (1700-present day) periods", and a minimum of 25% will be on world history. | The DfE's consultation paper on the content of GCSE history says a minimum 40% of content will be British history, and include at least one study "from the medieval (500-1500), early modern (1450-1750) or modern (1700-present day) periods", and a minimum of 25% will be on world history. |
| The biggest change is the heavy concentration on final exams taken at the end of a two-year GCSE course, bringing the end of modular course structures and the use of classroom assessment in pupils' final grades. Only science of the first batch of subjects will retain a coursework element. | The biggest change is the heavy concentration on final exams taken at the end of a two-year GCSE course, bringing the end of modular course structures and the use of classroom assessment in pupils' final grades. Only science of the first batch of subjects will retain a coursework element. |
| DfE officials likened the new exam structure to the O-level format – which was replaced by GCSEs in the late 1980s but a version of which is still used in Singapore – which had a heavier emphasis on essay-based exam questions. | DfE officials likened the new exam structure to the O-level format – which was replaced by GCSEs in the late 1980s but a version of which is still used in Singapore – which had a heavier emphasis on essay-based exam questions. |
| Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and College Leaders, said the changes were harking back to a bygone era: "Creating one un-tiered examination for all students, from those with learning difficulties to potential Oxbridge candidates, is an immense challenge with no guarantee of success. | Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and College Leaders, said the changes were harking back to a bygone era: "Creating one un-tiered examination for all students, from those with learning difficulties to potential Oxbridge candidates, is an immense challenge with no guarantee of success. |
| "Simply making exams harder does not guarantee higher standards nor mean that students will be prepared for a job." | "Simply making exams harder does not guarantee higher standards nor mean that students will be prepared for a job." |
| The reforms will first be applied to the core subjects of English language and English literature, maths, combined science, physics, chemistry, biology, geography and history. Other subjects will be added in subsequent years. | The reforms will first be applied to the core subjects of English language and English literature, maths, combined science, physics, chemistry, biology, geography and history. Other subjects will be added in subsequent years. |
| One climbdown by the DfE, at the urging of Ofqual, has been the retention of so-called tiered papers in maths and science, after earlier reports that they would be abolished in all subjects. Ofqual also suggested that short course GCSEs could be offered in some subjects, so long as they didn't get in the way of the full two-year version. | One climbdown by the DfE, at the urging of Ofqual, has been the retention of so-called tiered papers in maths and science, after earlier reports that they would be abolished in all subjects. Ofqual also suggested that short course GCSEs could be offered in some subjects, so long as they didn't get in the way of the full two-year version. |
| Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers union, said the proposals would do little for the 40% of young people who fail to achieve five A*-Cs under the current system. | Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers union, said the proposals would do little for the 40% of young people who fail to achieve five A*-Cs under the current system. |
| "We have serious concerns that the new-style GCSE will not give all children the chance to demonstrate what they have learned and will particularly disadvantage children with difficult home lives. | "We have serious concerns that the new-style GCSE will not give all children the chance to demonstrate what they have learned and will particularly disadvantage children with difficult home lives. |
| "End-of-course exams on a single day test recall and memory rather than the range of skills that young people need in the 21st century." | "End-of-course exams on a single day test recall and memory rather than the range of skills that young people need in the 21st century." |
| Gove argued that the detailed content proposals issued by the DfE would give the examination boards a clearer indication of expectations in each subject. | Gove argued that the detailed content proposals issued by the DfE would give the examination boards a clearer indication of expectations in each subject. |
| "Under the previous system, specifications were too vague. This caused suspicion and speculation that some exam boards were harder than others, undermining the credibility of the exam system as a whole. | "Under the previous system, specifications were too vague. This caused suspicion and speculation that some exam boards were harder than others, undermining the credibility of the exam system as a whole. |
| "Including more detail in our requirements for subject content will ensure greater consistency and fairness across subjects and between exam boards." | "Including more detail in our requirements for subject content will ensure greater consistency and fairness across subjects and between exam boards." |