Is ABC easier than 123?
Teenagers in England will be receiving new 9-1 grades in many of their GCSE subjects this year, following major exam reforms.
GCSEs in England have undergone sweeping changes as part of education reforms that began under the coalition government.
These changes are now being felt in schools and colleges across the country, with one of the biggest being a new grading system.
So, what is the new grading system?
– Traditional A* to G grades have been replaced with a 9 to 1 system, with 9 the highest mark.
– English and maths GCSEs – core subjects taken by all teenagers – were the first to move to the new system, with numerical grades awarded for these courses for the first time last summer.
Why was the grading system changed?
– The move is part of a wider reform of exams which has seen a complete overhaul of the content and structure of GCSEs.
– Schools and colleges have been teaching these new GCSEs for the last two to three years, and it is only now that grades are starting to be awarded.
– The new courses feature much less coursework than the old GCSE qualifications, and modular courses, which saw pupils sit papers throughout their studies, have been scrapped in favour of “linear” GCSEs in which pupils take all of their exams at the end of the two-year course.
– The new grading system is meant to clearly distinguish new courses from the old qualifications.
There have been concerns raised that the system may be confusing, for example to parents, or businesses presented with potential job candidates with different types of grades.
What are your views? Do you think the ABC grading system is more understandable or can you get your head around the new numbers?
What are your views?
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We don't tolerate swearing, and reserve the right to remove any posts which we feel may offend others... let's keep it friendly!
This is part of the politicians armory, just keep the electorate at bay by making as much confusion over an easy subject, that then makes their political career safe !!
Regardless of the extra stress it causes for staff and pupils and confussion for employers.
Yes exam results are important but so are very many other qualities that people bring to the work place but people with practical skills who do not have qualifications often do not get invited to interview
All Change!
Ah, but I neglected to say parts marks would need to be very substantially raised and would suit our educators.
My mention of the 1944 Butler Act provides for youngsters of differing abilities or capacities to be educated in an appropriate State school, not lumped together and taught the same subjects at the slowest or least able's speed or capacity.
Perhaps, instead if both political parties ceased knocking English Public Schools - often citing that spurious term upward mobility - and raised both educational standards and the provision for differing abilities we would have a much better system. It would at least give State schools something to aim at rather than juvenile targets we have now.
As you know I was in the Public School system, though not by choice, and now I can highly recommend it.
Lance makes a very cogent point. The construction of sentences, basic spelling, punctuation, letter writing and other forms of communication seems to be sadly lacking. The last time anyone noticed that an infinitive had been split was when Captain Kirk decided to ''boldly go''. It equally applies to basic arithmetic and number manipulation. Ask most youth to work out VAT on a product without a calculator or make change without the till working it out.
Surely Education must shove out of the back door youngsters who are educated in subjects, and to standards, employers need. Not tell employers what they may have as this is the best that can be done by the system
Also, we must cease lying to these youngsters about job prospect if they work hard. Another year of youngster has left school to find jobs/apprenticeships are in very short supply.
More than the qualifications I gained, the school taught me respect and self respect which seems amusing to some.
The only thing that makes me cringe, in hindsight, was the religious attitude, even Catholics had to stand outside morning assembly. This, alas, was a sign of the times. At the previous school, attached to a church, I was refused membership of the choir as I had been baptised (dedicated) by The Salvation Army during a small pox epidemic in Scotland and the C o E didn't recognise it. I was quite the religious mongrel, dad's family were Orange Lodge and mum's were Salvation Army, she served in Red Shield canteens during the war. The local canon was shocked when I challenged him from both points of view. Sadly, as it was a church school, I was caned then when I refused to apologise in church, I was caned again.
That was so similar to your account of school. Rigidly disciplined, High Anglican focussed and the curricula centred around entry to the Church, Civil Service or the Officer Corps. Some veered off course and became accountants - one spent years as Chief Finance officer for British Columbia - others went into medicine or finance. One even became a champagne socialist. I don't mourn his lack of success. The Establishment was everything, in spite of the fact the Empire had largely disappeared.
Me? I became a farm worker after an illustrious 5 year career in the London Wine Trade. Never was more content than after I made that move. The Yorkshire Dales, Vale of York and the moors were my work place. Happy days!
Why can't they stop fiddling with exams? Every few years there seems to be a "re-think" based on the "latest trends" in education. There's very little difficulty associated with teaching maths, English, etc.
The subjects don't change that much except they seem to get less detailed.
Ask any school pupil to construct an English sentence and they haven't got a clue what you're talking about
Does it really matter whether it's 1,2,3,...... or A,B,C.....? Let's get the subject matter taught properly in the first place.