Return of the O-Level: Gove shake-up is biggest revolution in education for 30 years

[Cool--]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2162369/Return-O-Level-Gove-shake-biggest-revolution-education-30-years.html

*gulp* Gove must be really bored. GCSEs were the perfect difficulty in my opinion/experience, but looks like we are going back in time. O-Levels were never 'Gold Standard', education has improved massively since GCSEs were implemented (teaching got better, children got smarter, most importantly.)

Thread moved by Jordan (Forum Super Moderator): From 'Education & Employment' to here as more suited

[Mathew]

This is going to be very interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing how it pans out in the future.

[Futz]

This scares me as it will further downgrade my GCSE's and A-levels

[FlyingJesus]

children got smarter, most importantly.

Well no, exams got easier so it LOOKED like children got smarter :P

This could all be speculation based on an email Gove sent to his mum saying "O levels were pretty good back in the day" considering it's from the Daily Mail, but assuming it's all true, I don't understand why there are plans to have completely standardised tests across the entire country but then remove the National Curriculum... surely that just opens up opportunities to have a load of teaching about irrelevant topics which may well be interesting and true but of no scholarly merit for the students

[lawrawrrr]

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. All I ever hear is 'WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE WE DID O LEVELS AND THEY WERE MUCH HARDER'.

If they did bring them back (which I fully support btw - they're more preparing for r/l or a levels), they'd have to be at about the same standard as current GCSEs or all results would suddenly drop. I'm not actually sure how they'd handle that transition really...

[Cool--]

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. All I ever hear is 'WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE WE DID O LEVELS AND THEY WERE MUCH HARDER'.

If they did bring them back (which I fully support btw - they're more preparing for r/l or a levels), they'd have to be at about the same standard as current GCSEs or all results would suddenly drop. I'm not actually sure how they'd handle that transition really...

Wouldn't it be easier just to improve on the current GSCEs?

[lawrawrrr]

Wouldn't it be easier just to improve on the current GSCEs?

They're already under criticism for changing them so often, they really need a complete overhaul. I think they're next to useless to be honest, at least at my school, we were taught to get to the GCSEs and pass the GCSEs, not actually taught for knowledge.

[Shar]

Less intelligent pupils will sit simpler exams, similar to the old CSEs
not liking the sound of that, not very friendly. Why go back in time when they can try and improve the current GCSEs. Also some students do better at A levels than GCSEs as they get to pick subjects they actually enjoy.

[-Danube-]

I think GCSEs should be alot harder, myself and most people that i know did little to no extra work during our GCSEs, just turned up to our lessons and we all did outstanding. Some people may think this is great but really getting great GCSEs results with little work really shoots yourself in the foot for A Level. When i started A Levels i thought i could just go to the lessons and do the exams and i'd get some decent grades like at GCSE, but i did the first lot of a level exams and i did terrible. This gave me a kick up the bum to basically burry my head into revision a few weeks before my exams. The gap between GCSE and A Level needs to be bridged, the difference in difficulty is massive and GCSE are no where near enough to prepare you for A Level.

I'm only really talking in terms of Science based A Levels and GCSEs as this is only what i did at A Level so i can't really judge the change in difficulty for different GCSEs to A Level.

[Nemo]

I think certain GCSEs should be made harder (physics for example) because the gap from GCSE to A level is ******* ridiculous.

[Shar]

I agree with making certain sciences harder and even maths a bit harder as they are quite harder at A level but I don't think humanities/social sciences are as hard

[Mathew]

I agree with making certain sciences harder and even maths a bit harder as they are quite harder at A level but I don't think humanities/social sciences are as hard

Oh, you went there. Woooooooooow! Nah, I only did English Language at GCSE and it's a big step up from there, so I can't really judge the other two! :P

[Shar]

Oh, you went there. Woooooooooow! Nah, I only did English Language at GCSE and it's a big step up from there, so I can't really judge the other two! :P
I did RS at GCSE and that was so easy, it was the only A I got and history was the other humanity I did and I got a B in that. I went on to do both at AS and they really weren't as hard as any of the science subjects or maths in comparison.

I think the main problem with examinations is that some people don't try as hard as others. I can honestly say that I didn't try as hard when I did my GCSEs compared to my A levels and I'm sure others would agree, but people can't be forced to study, its their own choice.

[Ardemax]

I'm sure Gove would just like a system where only the rich kids can sit the exams and all the poor kids have to do BTECs. Or something.

Luckily this won't affect me as I finish my exams on Monday :D

[dbgtz]

It's simple to say "make it harder" but with some of the poor teaching in my old school (for some subjects) and the amount of forced subjects we had to do, I can imagine many people failing unfairly.

[Ajthedragon]

Rather than scrapping GCSE's which is extremely expensive, why not have one universal exam board for each subject? This would prevent exam boards competing with each other on the basis of offering easier exams. GCSEs should be harder and more relevant to A-levels though, as I felt totally unprepared for AS having gone from the odd 8 mark question to 40 mark ones. :P

Plus I hope the possible changes won't devalue my current GCSEs and AS levels.

[kuzkasate]

I agree they need changing, but what I don't agree on is with the introduction of O-levels, pupils will basically be told they're going to be successful in life, or they're going to fail in life.

[FlyingJesus]

why not have one universal exam board for each subject?

That is one of the proposed changes, and makes sense but is oddly supplemented with removing the standardised National Curriculum... so everyone will sit the same exam but depending on what school you go to you might not have actually been taught anything that'll be on it. Very strange


I agree they need changing, but what I don't agree on is with the introduction of O-levels, pupils will basically be told they're going to be successful in life, or they're going to fail in life.

No it just tells people whether they have a future in academics or not. Not everyone is capable of the same things and the pretence that absolutely everyone should be able to get academic qualifications has led to a flooding of all markets with diplomas and degrees that now mean very little

[GommeInc]

Different names, still the same old crappy educational system. It will be interesting to see how this pans out. It could completely destroy the quality of education for some people while being worthwhile for others or be very fruitful and boost the quality of the education here. Either way, something has to change.

[-:Undertaker:-]

It appears to be a right move but it is simply what this unconservative government did with the 'bonfire of the quangos' - abolish, retain all staff and then rename the quango making no difference other than serving the purpose of making Conservative Party supporters feel as though the government was doing conservative things, which it isn't. The same appears to be happening to the exams (as it always has done) - education problems will not be solved in this country until the grammar schools are brought back in place of the comprehensives. The politicians of the Lib/Lab/Con agree with me on this, hence why many of them (Diane Abbott, Harriet Harman, Nicholas Clegg, Anthony Blair, David Miliband, David Cameron etc) all send their children to either religious schools/grammar schools or comprehensives of which you can only get into if you are very wealthy (making them private schools in all but name).

But you know, i'm just going to say it and be shameless because they've been right on so many things lately and it's high time people started paying attention - education in this country won't improve until you vote in somebody who will restore the grammar schools, ie UKIP.

I'd also add for anybody who wants to read it, Peter Hitchens' accurate take on this http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2012/06/oh-its-o-levels-now-is-it-is-michael-gove-as-rigorous-as-he-says-he-is-or-are-we-all-dreaming-includ.html

[FlyingJesus]

education problems will not be solved in this country until the grammar schools are brought back in place of the comprehensives.

I actually somewhat agree, and think it's daft that they're willing to bring back a divided examination method but not a divided schooling method. The idea of teaching everyone to the same level is what's always held back the top tier of students until they either reach university and forget everything they learned at school in favour of higher learning or give up partway through school because they see their efforts and talents as pointless

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://order-order.com/2012/06/22/loony-lefty-loses-it-live-on-bbc-with-toby-young/

Loony Lefty Loses It Live On BBC With Toby Young


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6bVzVRkyjEM#!


Part-time media studies teacher turned radical class warrior Francis Gilbert did the Local Schools Network no favours last night when he had a meltdown live on the BBC News Channel.

Guido thinks any head who employs Gilbert should take a look this.
http://orderorder.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/loony-left.gif

Think of the children…

UPDATE: In you couldn’t make it up territory: Francis Gilbert is married to The Times literary editor Erica Wagner. They sent their son to private school…

......


I actually somewhat agree, and think it's daft that they're willing to bring back a divided examination method but not a divided schooling method. The idea of teaching everyone to the same level is what's always held back the top tier of students until they either reach university and forget everything they learned at school in favour of higher learning or give up partway through school because they see their efforts and talents as pointless

Indeed, and it doesn't have to be as rigid as the old British system - the German system is much more flexible, meaning the eleven+ exam isn't the end all.