Welsh Education Minister Leighton Andrews has branded moves to scrap GCSEs a “backwards step”.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4 on Monday Mr Andrews said Wales might end up keeping the GCSE.
He said: “It sounds to me as though it’s a backwards step for England to be honest.
“This doesn’t sound like a 21st Century solution, it sounds like a solution developed in the latter half of the 20th Century.
“We are carrying out a full review of qualifications which we embarked on last year and we want a qualifications system that is understood by employers, prepares pupils for further learning and is easily understood by pupils and parents.
“GCSEs were introduced by a conservative government in the 1980s and are a very strong brand. I don’t know what the outcome of our qualifications review will be.
“It might be that we keep GCSEs in Wales. I think there’s been a lot of support for GCSEs.”
UK Government Education Secretary Michael Gove unveiled his plans for an English Baccalaureate Certificate which would replace modular exams and coursework with a single exam at the end of the course.
The first to sit the new exams will be pupils who started secondary school in England this year.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “As always, our priority will be to ensure that the best interests of our learners are the focus of any decisions that we take.
“In Wales we are taking an evidence-based approach through our Review of 14-19 Qualifications. This is a decision that cannot be rushed and Welsh Ministers are committed to avoiding significant changes to GCSEs until after the outcomes of the Review are known at the end of November.”
It is looking like English school pupils will benefit from a return to a qualification that potential employers can recognise as a measure of ability. Welsh pupils will continue to take the almost worthless GCSE.
I have no doubt that Leighton Andrews "thinks there has been a lot of support for GCSEs" but this support appears to come from those with a vested interest in this discredited qualification. We all undertake qualifications to compete with others for scarce jobs and places on course of higher level. If we Welsh do not sit exams at least as rigorous as those in England there are no prizes for guessing who will be first choice amongst employers.
The quote from the spokesperson in the Assembly is revealing,
“As always, our priority will be to ensure that the best interests of our learners are the focus of any decisions that we take”.
The people in charge are themselves incapable of making their point in plain language. Why not say, “Our priority is to ensure that our decisions are in the best interests of those taking GCSEs.”
Can some one please tell me what is a GCSE worth, teacher friends of mine say an A* GCSE is the equivalent of the old O Level, is this true?
Yes John, it appears to be true. I have been told by a couple of teachers, with over 30 years experience each, that an A* GCSE is roughly equivalent to a 'grade B' O Level. That is not to say that some pupils today are incapable of passing O level at 'grade A', it just means that the expectations have been lowered.
When O levels were introduced they were tailored so that only a percentage of the population would be capable of passing them. I cannot remember what the figure was but 40% seems to be about right. The modern craze has been to make sure most people can pass the course work and exams. This has inevitably led to a less stringent qualification. This was why A* was introduced, it was an attempt to indicate which were the either the cleverest or hardest working pupils.
Gosh, and I had 10 O Levels (Lowest mark 70%), in 1961, so I must be clever, lucky I`m modest.
I went to a Grammar School, where we were immersed in the concept of a meritocracy, but one of ability and intelligence, but I still dont really know if examinations can measure intelligence, or if you are "clever": at the time I was keen, hard working and inspired and examinations were easy to pass, but I still dont know what use a Latin O Level would be to an employer. What do employers want from an examination system, evidence the applicant has a knowledge of English, Mathematics, two sciences Physics and Chemistry and an ability to turn up on time and learn, indicating they can be taught.I was basically of an academic bent, but coming from Nantgarw Road,followed a more practical career in Engineering Design. With that experience feel what is needed is a return of the old Grammar Technical School, with two streams and no snobbery regarding technical subjects. Examinations can measure how much of a subject you have learnt and can remember at the time,they are also important in measuring the subject knowledge a practioner of a craft may have, eg aircraft engineers responsible for aircraft maintenance. the major problem is you have to accept that while some people are academic others arent, and it is difficult to provide an educational system that meet teh needs of both when, you have a large proportion of children being educated privately, I have met more than my fair share of "Tim, nice but dims", to show we have a meritocracy based on wealth and family rather than ability.