16th June 2010 9:00
By Blue Tutors
The new coalition government has announced that, for the first time, state schools will be allowed to offer the international qualifications IGCSEs, and not just the standard GCSEs which have been available to students until now. In a report on the BBC website it was also revealed that Michael Gove, the new education secretary, has decided to scrap the new diplomas created by the leaving government.
The move to allow state schools to offer IGCSEs comes because Gove feels that they are more challenging, and will allow pupils to compete on an equal level with their peers in privately funded schools. They are said to more closely resemble the old O-levels, with more emphasis placed on essay writing. Schools will not receive additional funding if they choose to offer the IGCSE, and will have to find the resources to teach it from their existing budget, which may leave many schools sticking with the current GCSE system.
The Association of Teachers and Lecturers described the move away from the new academic diplomas as ‘Neanderthal’, claiming that it doesn’t bring our education system in line with the rest of the world’s, and leaves us stuck in the 19th Century. The diplomas are supposed to provide a bridge between academic and vocational qualifications. However Michael Gove defended the decision, stating that it was for ideological reasons, and not simply because it would make badly needed savings.