GCSE results 2012: grades drop for first time in history.

[MKR&*42]

Idk whether to put this here or education (Education seems more sensible.. but meh ;l). I'm surprised that they dropped tbh after it had been improving for so many years;

Figures published by exam boards showed that the number of teenagers awarded good grades in a range of academic subjects including English, maths and science dropped sharply.

In all, the proportion of test papers marked at least an A fell by 0.8 percentage points to 22.4 per cent - the first annual drop since GCSE exams were first sat in 1988.

Elite A* grades also fell by 0.5 percentage points to 7.3 per cent.

Data released by the Joint Council for Qualifications showed that the overall proportion of tests awarded at least a C - considered a "good" pass - was down by 0.4 percentage points to 69.4 per cent. Girls again stretched their lead over boys at C grade.

The disclosure is likely to place huge pressure on state schools in England which have been threatened with closure or take-over if they fail to hit basic GCSE floor targets.

Schools must ensure at least four-in-10 pupils gain five good passes, with more than 250 secondaries falling short of the mark last summer.
But it also prompted outrage from head teachers' leaders today who claimed that pass-rates had been artificially held down to satisfy Government demands to contain "grade inflation".
It is likely to lead to a sharp increase in the number of schools lodging official appeals against results.
The proportion of GCSE papers awarded an A or C grade had increased for 23 years in a row before today's fall.
According to today's figures for around 700,000 schoolchildren in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the overall drop in grades was driven by sharp declines in pass-rates in a series of traditional academic disciplines.
Figures showed that:
• The proportion of exams awarded C grades in English literature fell by more than two percentage points to 76.3 per cent;
• English language C grades dropped by 1.5 percentage points to 63.9 per cent;
• C grades in mathematics fell by 0.4 percentage points to 58.4 per cent;
• Grades in chemistry, biology and physics all fell, while the proportion of pupils awarded Cs in combined science papers plummeted by almost two percentage points to 60.7 per cent.
The fall will particularly damage schools' league table standings as rankings are calculated based on the proportion of pupils gaining A* to C grades, including the key subjects of English and maths.

Moved by efq (Trialist Forum Moderator): Felt it was better suited here, thanks.

[Kardan]

Good to see really, in-line with A-Levels. Personally I felt it was a bit silly that they'd increase year on year.

[Mark]

I think the whole English system is far too confusing imo, definitely needs a reform in general.

[Niall!]

GG this generation, you disappoint us all.

[-:Undertaker:-]

The idea that grades have been improving every year for the last 30 years non-stop (especially with our education system which has undergone steep decline since the abolition of the grammar schools in the 1960s and 1970s) is worthy of of a Soviet medal in statistics.

[lawrawrrr]

GOOD. They cannot rise EVERY year, that's preposterous. Well done to those who still got good grades, although my old school put up entry requirements due to this exact issue - now there's not the number of passers they expected! O well, was too crowded anyway.

[Chippiewill]

Listened to a Radio 4 interview earlier where a head teacher was screaming conspiracy because his school had had a sharp of a drop in those achieving C grades at GCSE. Clearly didn't want to entertain the fact that his teachers had been teaching a new english curriculum wrong.

[Ardemax]

I'm sure I heard somewhere they were marking things like English more harshly this year?

[santa-my-nana]

They are deffinatly decreasing. In our mocks in the music exam a few people got a's and a*'s and this was overall in the rreal thing, no one got a a or a* and there was some of the best musicians in there and some of the best at the listening test. only 2 people with a B, its not on. i agree complaints should be made

[MKR&*42]

I'm sure I heard somewhere they were marking things like English more harshly this year?

Yes, mainly English but quite a lot of other subjects as well .

I'm in support of them trying to stop grades continuously rising, but the timing that they raise the boundaries is ridiculous. The usually do it after students have been informed of their final predicted/expected grades, thus meaning quite a lot of students end up a grade lower than expected (which, in all honesty, isn't great for people who are expected Cs in stuff like English and end up with a D). I don't find that very fair upon students who feel comfortable that they're going to get into College with their Cs, then get a huge shock with a D.

I think it jeapodises (I CAN'T SPELL THAT WORD?) so many young people's lives in all honesty, if they decide to bump up the boundary at such a late point in time.