Gove abandons plans to scrap GCSEs

The decision was said to follow pressure from the Liberal Democrats as well as criticism from MPs across the political spectrum, the exam regulator Ofqual and teaching unions.

Last week the cross-party Commons education committee said the government had “not proved its case” that GCSEs should be abolished in key academic subjects.

Despite conceding that his plan to have a single exam board for each subject was “a reform too far” and confirming that GCSEs willl be retained, Mr Gove set out a raft of proposed reforms to the existing GCSE exams. He also outlined proposals for a new system of school league tables and a new national curriculum.

The education secretary had originally wanted to introduce a new English Baccalaureate Certificate (EBC) exam in England to replace GCSEs in the five core academic areas of English, maths, science, languages and humanities (history or geography). Each of the core subjects would have been handed to a single examination board – a move Mr Gove argued was essential to prevent boards “dumbing down” standards to attract more schools.

However according to reports on Thursday, officials had warned the plan could fall foul of EU procurement rules. Other commentators said it had been dropped because the reform programme had just become too complicated. Mr Gove told MPs “you only make progress in this life by recognising when to cut your losses.”

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said it was “encouraging” that Mr Gove had listen to those who had urged him to think again.

“We have never believed that GCSE is beyond repair and have been urging the government for many months not to abandon it.”

He added: “All students need access to appropriate qualifications that are fit for purpose. A one size fits all examination will help neither the most nor the least able.

“The reformed GCSE must be rigorous but it also must be relevant to students of all ability levels, whether they are going straight into work, a high-level apprenticeship or to university.”

More fractions and grammar

A new national curriculum, published today, will strip out the prescription about how to teach Mr Gove told MPs. In English there will be more emphasis on spelling, punctuation and grammar, in maths more on arithmetic, fractions and percentages, and in history a “clear narrative of British progress with a proper emphasis on heros and heroines.” Reports that Mr Gove was planning to remove study of the black nurse Mary Seacole from the curriculum, reportedly prompted Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to remark “that’s not going to happen.”

‘Humiliating climbdown’

Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg said Mr Gove should have listened to warnings that the scheme would not work.

“This is a humiliating climbdown from Michael Gove,” he said. “It shows why he should have listened to business leaders, headteachers and experts in the first place and not come up with a plan on the back of an envelope.

“Pupils and parents need certainty now. Michael Gove must now make clear whether he will abandon his narrow, out of date plans altogether or merely try to delay them.

“He needs to go back to the drawing board and develop a curriculum and exam system that meets our future challenges as a country. Labour wants to work with the government to forge a long term consensus on exam and curriculum reform. We would welcome cross party talks.”

League table reform

Mr Gove also set out changes to the way in which school league tables are drawn up.

He said the current system – which focuses on how many pupils achieve a grade c or above in five GCSEs – has three peverse incentives: it encourages schools to choose easy exam subjects, causes a narrow concentration on five subjects and focuses teachers attention on students at the borderline between grades c and d.

The new league tables will combine a measure of those students achieving a certain threshold in English and maths, plus an average points score that will measure achievement across eight subjects. These will have to include at least three from those that make up the core subject group previously designated by the government as constituing the English baccalaureate: English, maths, history or geography, science and a language. (Not to be confused with the now scrapped English Baccalaureate Certificate exams).

Mr Gove said the new measure would “affirm the importance of every child pursuing English baccalaureate subjects”. He also told MPs that he believed the reformed tables would “ensure the achievements of all students are recognised equally, including both low attainers and high achievers.”