Sunday, 23 September 2012

Education changes - Another questionable move

The main debatable topic in the news this week was the announcement of changes in the education system for secondary schools from 2015.

GCSE's are being scrapped and it is a questionable decision
GCSEs in England are to be scrapped and replaced with a new English Baccalaureate Certificate.

The changes were announced in the House of Commons by the Education Secretary Michael Gove.

The new system would see all students be tested on a single end of year exam, eliminating module courses and coursework in the process.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said the changes will “give parents confidence in the system” and helps “raise standards for all children.”

Honestly, I can’t see too many benefits with this system and when the news broke of this last Monday, I felt it was a bankrupt move by a coalition on the verge of liquidation!

Although I agree with the need to shake things up in the education system for students taking these crucial exams in year 11, this is a radical overhaul and far too much.

Getting rid of most forms of coursework is a big mistake.  While I felt impetus on this could have been knocked back, it is still an important form of work.

Not a fair way for everyone
Exams are not a fair way to settle an individual’s final grade.  They have to play a part but if you solely rely on the exam results, there won’t be a fair reflection.

Some excel in exams, others suffer brain freeze, an attack of the nerves, make themselves ill and simply don’t perform and that can’t always be helped.

I can’t help but feel that this change will benefit some students and hinder others, making it a two-tier system, something that Clegg says won’t happen.

I did GCSE’s back in 2004-05 and frankly, I screwed them up.  My results were utterly dreadful and I had to heavily rely on strong coursework to make up for constant underachievement in exams.

The news is disappointing but not surprising in another questionable decision from a coalition that lost control of this country a long time ago.

As for Clegg, he apologised for the rise in University tuition fees, breaking a Liberal Democrat manifesto pledge from the 2010 General Election.

He broke a promise, made many enemies and won’t be forgiven.  Saying sorry only happens if you mean it and he probably doesn’t.  After all, the Liberal Democrats should be renamed ‘Blue Democrats.’

This week, Clegg’s apology was turned into an autotune remix and has made the iTunes single charts!  The video is funny to watch but he can’t sing and is not very good at politics.



Might be entertaining but he is ridiculous.  A tip for Nick: DO NOT AUDITION FOR X-FACTOR!

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