30th July 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
A letter from Ofqual to schools in England has warned that the science GCSE results for exams taken this year are likely to be a ‘small drop’ compared to previous results. Reported on the BBC, this results warning is part of a letter which also outlines the planned changes to GCSEs and A Levels over the next few years. However, the large-scale changes to the qualifications are a more recent plan, set out by the government, the increased difficulty of exams in general is something demanded by the Department for Education after deciding that the previous standards were not of a high enough quality.
The letter reads: ‘These GCSEs are designed to be more challenging, because the previous syllabuses did not adequately test the subject content and were not sufficiently demanding’. It continues ‘Although we cannot be sure until the results come in, we are expecting a small drop in achievements overall rather than anything more substantial’. A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said: “We want GCSEs to be high-quality, demanding qualifications comparable to those in the world’s best-performing education systems. It is for Ofqual, the independent regulator, to ensure that standards are set appropriately in the awarding of GCSEs’.
Brian Lightman, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said that students and teachers are working harder than ever before, and that it is very demoralising to be told that one’s exam was too easy. He added that it was going to be a very tough year for students, especially if grades dropped. Lightman did say that he thought the letter was helpful, but raised concerns about the amount of change currently going on, and claimed that the changes are creating too much uncertainty among teachers, students and parents.