Update to the[Update] "English Baccalaureate" replaces GCSE in England

[Fawkes]

For future generations I hope Michael Gove knows what he is doing. I hope he has looked at all the evidence and chosen the best solution. Education needs to do two things. It needs to teach and then measure a persons ability.
Is the move from coursework to more lecture based study a better teaching method, I’m not sure?
Is a single exam at the end of a course the best way to measure ability, I’m sure of that either?
It’s possible that multiple approaches are needed.
Employers with tell you that change is needed, and I don’t disagree I just hope there is a strong evidential basis for this change and not just political ideology.

[Angua]

Originally Posted by Damien

I really don't like the lack of coursework. Can be a good chance for students who otherwise lack ability to exams to do well. I always did poorly at exams but very good at coursework....

It also gives those who can cram at the last minute a relatively free ride for 2 years.

The obsession with churning out results rather than offering a complete education according to ability, is the continuing problem of government interference.

Originally Posted by Angua

It also gives those who can cram at the last minute a relatively free ride for 2 years.

The obsession with churning out results rather than offering a complete education according to ability, is the continuing problem of government interference.

Teaching is not about churning out ready made workers for industry.A job is not the whole of a person's life.It is merely the means by which we pay to survive and live as an individual.
Education should be about teaching the person for the whole of their life not just the bit they spend working.

Originally Posted by Angua

It also gives those who can cram at the last minute a relatively free ride for 2 years.

Yup. Although it's hard to cram to such a degree. It also rewards the ability to retain facts for the purpose of an exam. Coursework teaches deadlines, research, and presentation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21363396

Plans to scrap GCSEs in key subjects in England and replace them with English Baccalaureate Certificates are set to be abandoned by the government.
The reversal is set to be announced by the education secretary in the Commons later, alongside curriculum changes.
Michael Gove had planned to bring in what he said were more rigorous exams in some core subjects from 2015, but faced criticism from MPs and teachers.
Labour said it was a "humiliating climbdown".
The change means plans for the new qualification, announced in September, will be shelved, while GCSEs are retained, despite having been condemned by the education secretary.

I wonder what he's got planned next?

[denphone]

Tell me Maggy what are your thoughts on it as were you not a teacher as l know my thoughts are why do we need to tamper with our Education system every time a new government comes in and wants to change the policies of the previous incumbents.

Originally Posted by denphone

Tell me Maggy what are your thoughts on it as were you not a teacher as l know my thoughts are why do we need to tamper with our Education system every time a new government comes in and wants to change the policies of the previous incumbents.

My thoughts are that education should be taken from government control and given to a cross party committee so that the constant short termism that emerges at every General Election would become a thing of the past.Then knee jerk reactions could be replaced by long term decisions that benefit
State Education rather than are based on a party getting elected.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

My thoughts are that education should be taken from government control and given to a cross party committee so that the constant short termism that emerges at every General Election would become a thing of the past.Then knee jerk reactions could be replaced by long term decisions that benefit
State Education rather than are based on a party getting elected.

Yes indeed l think thats what most of us would like to happen but whether that will ever happen is another matter l am afraid.

Originally Posted by Maggy J

My thoughts are that education should be taken from government control and given to a cross party committee so that the constant short termism that emerges at every General Election would become a thing of the past.Then knee jerk reactions could be replaced by long term decisions that benefit
State Education rather than are based on a party getting elected.

I sort of agree but doesn't this might government become more of a Technocracy? It seems like a balance needs to be struck but informed people can advocate to the Government, it's just problematic when politicians dismiss the concerns of these people in favour of popular opinion. Is it good or bad if popular opinion overrules minority, but perhaps more education, opinion?

One thing that's certain if experts decided more then we wouldn't be paying for idiotic homeopathy...

I'm not a fan of government via unelected committee. That's how the Soviet Union was run. In fact that's how China is run. Love them or loathe them, our politicians are our elected representatives and frankly I think we get the government we deserve.

Use your vote wisely, folks ...

Originally Posted by Chris

I'm not a fan of government via unelected committee. That's how the Soviet Union was run. In fact that's how China is run. Love them or loathe them, our politicians are our elected representatives and frankly I think we get the government we deserve.

Use your vote wisely, folks ...

And I'm sick of education being a political football every 4/5 years.I wasn't suggesting an unelected committee either.I did think that it would be made up of equal numbers of MPs from the present house of Commons as well as a few cross party candidates from the House of Lords.
But of course as I'm supposedly a Labourite my opinions don't count despite I've been on the sharp end of kneejerk reactions from successive governments of both major parties during my working life.

Now we have Gove suggesting that teachers needn't be trained turning back time to the Victorian era..