EXAM REFORMS COULD HIT INDEPENDENT SECTOR WARNS SENIOR TEACHER
A senior teacher at a leading Nottingham independent school has warned the independent sector is unlikely to be immune to proposed government changes to the GCSE exam system.
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Peter Kelly, Deputy Head (Academic) at Trent College school, Long Eaton, insists the exam reforms proposed by Education Secretary, Michael Gove, remain “very difficult” to interpret from an independent’s school’s perspective. Meanwhile, he believes independent schools, which have traditionally maintained autonomy in setting their own curricula, may have little choice but to adopt the new English Baccalaureate (EBacc) when it comes into force from 2015.
Mr Kelly suggests the success of the EBacc could depend on how universities value it. But he concedes that may change if university admission becomes dependent on the qualification.
He said: “It is easy to believe that independent schools will, as in the past, be largely immune to these changes but this may well be superficial. At the moment the EBacc doesn’t seem to have overwhelming support in Higher Education but that may change when the majority of students are ‘forced’ through that path or if the Government applies pressure.
“If the English Baccalaureate becomes an accepted and necessary qualification for university admission then all schools, whether independent or state, will be obliged to incorporate it as part of the 14-19 curriculum.
“This could lead to a further squeeze on skill and performance subjects such as Design and Technology, Art, Music as individual education pathways become more restricted. There may well be a range of other subjects that could be studied to ‘GCSE’ level outside the EBacc but at the moment it is difficult to judge the time commitment of the core programme.”
Mr Kelly also highlighted how the one exam board per subject concept could see a move from an education system with vast options towards one which deliberately will be very limited. This, he believes, could ultimately lead to a similar reduction of choice at A-level and in the range of university courses available.
However Mr Kelly did welcome Mr Gove’s recommendations that schools now consider ditching GCSEs for iGCSEs, with their emphasis on end-of-course exams, ahead of the introduction of the new EBacc in three years' time. The popularity of iGCSE has grown significantly over the past two years, with twice as many schools (900 – 400 state and 500 independent) now choosing it compared to 2010 (399 – 97 state and 302 independent).
He added: “The surge toward iGCSE has largely been driven by two beliefs. Firstly, the current coursework / controlled assessment format is not ‘user-friendly’ for teachers or students and can still be abused, and secondly the more rigorous syllabus and exams prepare students better for A-levels. I think independent schools will be pleased to see this.”
“There are lots of questions still to be answered and while it may be possible to produce the full outline by the end of the year, ready for first examination in the summer of 2017, it is less likely there will be immediate universal acceptance as few of the major educational bodies appear to have been involved in the planning process.”
For more information about Trent College visit www.trentcollege.net
PHOTOGRAPH Shows GCSE Results day at Trent College.