Reforming a flawed system
Latest plans for secondary education reform are to include plans to merge GCSEs, A-Levels and Advanced Extension Awards into a single four-tier diploma. The changes, to be phased in over the next ten years, include merging all current secondary school exams into one diploma.
Students would take exams when ready, and a single large project would replace the widely-criticised coursework component of current AS and A-levels. Plans also include greater emphasis on teacher assessment instead of written exams.
This aims to challenge the most able pupils by extending the current grade range while trying to strengthen core literacy in all school leavers. The main outline of the plan is to split a diploma award into entry, foundation, intermediate and advanced levels. They would be equivalent to GCSE, AS and A-levels with entry level covering the current D to G grades in GCSE and intermediate A* to C, with the stated aim of removing the current 'stigma' surrounding the lower spectrum of GCSE grades.
One of the elements which has made numerous recent headlines has been the fact that students would be able to progress at their own rate of achievement, meaning very bright pupils might apply to university at 16 - the idea being that students should 'take exams when they are ready' rather than at a uniform age. Teachers would also take more responsibility for the assessment of pupils, reducing the number of written exams.
Within the plan, suggestions have been made that coursework should be replaced by a single large project and activities outside school - such as involvement in sports, community service or arts - might count towards the final grade. The diploma would also be based around a new core of maths, communication skills and computing which pupils would have to take at all levels.
The diploma is also being touted as having options which would allow students either to take an 'open' diploma by taking a variety of different options or to specialise in one area. Plans for the diploma would also remove the distinction between vocational qualifications and academic qualifications studied in secondary education.
The changes to secondary education are aimed to stretch more able students, in order to make it easier for universities like Cambridge and Oxford to identify high achievers.
Sir Tim Lankester, Chairman of the Admissions Committee for Oxford University, said: "Qualifications which allow more differentiation between candidates will aid our admissions selection process," and that the university welcomes "initiatives which are designed to encourage all young people to engage with education and fulfil their potential."
However, this reform comes in the wake of the shake-up to the education system that was AS levels - a move which has since been described by ministers as having "failed in its main aims".
Mike Tomlinson, former Chief Inspector of Schools, said of present education: "The time for reform has come. Too many young people leave learning or fail to progress. Too many are left unchallenged."
Tomlinson also stated that the plans are designed to be "evolutionary" not "revolutionary," and that they were aiming for a "unified" rather than a "uniform" system.
26th Feb 2004