12th February 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Last year, education minister Michael Gove made public his plans to replace the current GCSE system with English Baccalaureate Certificates from 2015. However, campaigners have sent a letter to No 10 Downing Street appealing to the Prime Minister to reconsider the speed at which these reforms are being put into place.
The letter has been signed by over a 100 different groups and individuals from many educational sectors. They include members from the National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Head teachers as well as directors of Dance UK and the Royal Philharmonic Society. They fear that decisions regarding GCSEs and equivalent examinations for sixteen-year old pupils are being forced through too quickly.
According to the government’s propositions, examinations the first EBCs introduced in 2015 will be sat in 2017 in English, mathematics and science. EBCs in history, geography and languages will be introduced to the curriculum at a later date. For other subjects such as PE, drama and art, either GCSEs or a similar qualification will remain. Campaigners are worried that this will not provide equality among school subjects potentially leading to a risk for the economic and cultural structure of our society.
The letter does not oppose the idea of reforming the current system of GCSE examinations, however, those who have signed it are anxious about the lack of research regarding EBCs. They believe that an examination system which provides pupils with a broad, demanding, yet balanced curriculum is required. They are calling for an extended consultation in which more research on the reforms will be carried out which will engage with the views of other concerned parties.