23rd March 2016 1:00
By Blue Tutors
Schools across England have raised concerns that large numbers of GCSE and A level students will fail their exams because of long delays in providing schools with exam specifications. Schools usually receive specifications at least a year in advance but this year will receive less than half of the specifications on time. The delays are due to government reforms, and failure to approve new course content on time. Schools have said that the delays are unacceptable, and that teachers will not have enough time to adequately teach the new course content.
Schools raised concerns as new figures showed that only 42 percent of the new course specifications have been approved, despite plans to begin teaching the new courses in the summer. Just 66 out of 156 nee GCSE and A level courses that schools will be teaching this year have been approved, with the greatest deficits affecting science, humanities and language courses. Shadow education secretary Lucy Powell said that the figures were ‘alarming’ and that pupils will not be adequately prepared for exams if teaching starts late. The government has defended the reforms, saying that teachers and pupils should be able to work within the time they will be given.
The education policy advisor for the Association of Teachers and Lecturers Jill Stokoe said that there is a significant risk that the delays will cause students to perform poorly, because teachers will not see the specifications in time to begin teaching in September. Further, there are no practice papers or materials available for students to revise. Labour has said that the government has not left adequate time to implement reforms, leading to a situation in which students will be expected to study content that is not yet approved. The government has responded to criticisms to say that the reforms are essential, and that draft specifications will be made available to teachers where possible.