Why we shouldn’t rush to scrap GCSEs in the wake of Covid-19

We want a debate about the way forward for schooling post-Covid-19, however that shouldn’t imply a rush to abolish issues like GCSEs, writes Tim Oates.

Lots has modified over the previous yr. The impact of Covid has been seismic for people, industries and nations across the globe. However there’s now hope that mass vaccination will arrest the speed of an infection and save an important many lives.

Whereas crises can create optimistic alternatives for change, their reverberations can injury well-laid foundations

But we could solely simply be beginning to really feel among the shockwaves created by the illness. Whereas crises can create optimistic alternatives for change, their reverberations can injury well-laid foundations. That is our fear for schooling right here within the UK and across the globe.

Few points of the present schooling and evaluation panorama have escaped consideration. Some assume the nationwide curriculum needs to be scrapped or that textbooks are a factor of the previous. Safe, well-grounded proof says in any other case.

After which there are the calls to cull GCSEs.

Exams have been a ‘nationwide success’

GCSEs and A-levels have been a unprecedented nationwide success. They’ve been long-lived and invaluable exactly as a result of they’ve repeatedly tailored to altering instructional and social wants over the previous 50 years.

There isn’t a cause to assume they can not evolve once more, pushed by the perfect proof about high quality.

As exterior, unbiased assessments, they’re completely in keeping with the excessive stakes evaluation current throughout different main schooling programs world wide.

They usually do much more than simply present internationally-trusted grades, they supply complete programmes of studying, readability in expectations and attainment requirements, current motivating targets, provide high quality assurance of schooling, assist truthful admissions and so forth.

Any change in evaluation would additionally have to assist these key capabilities.

It sounds a posh set of calls for, however that’s what a developed system wants.

With out attending to this, urges to abolition may depart critical gaps in our academic preparations, and add much more disruption to that already stressing us all.

Debate is required, however adjustments mustn’t add workload

Cambridge Evaluation and Cambridge College Press have been long-term supporters of debate about the way forward for schooling, reflecting our mission, to contribute to society by way of the pursuit of schooling, studying and analysis on the highest worldwide ranges of excellence.

We now have thought of how current instructional coverage has influenced our standing in worldwide surveys, on the occasions of 2020 and early 2021, and from analysis and reflection have developed a set of define rules (see beneath) that we imagine will assist all these which are to proceed the controversy round educating, studying and evaluation.

Urges to abolition may depart critical gaps in our academic preparations, and add much more disruption to that already stressing us all

We recognise that the priorities proper now are getting younger folks again into faculties, implementing efficient restoration studying, and managing the demanding activity of figuring out grades for these younger folks resulting from obtain {qualifications} this summer season.

With out including to workload or detracting from these priorities, we want to start to put out the proof and views which may present sturdy constructing blocks for our academic future.

As a part of our effort, we might be curating a collection of blogs and on-line debates over coming months by way of which we’ll dissect necessary areas such because the significance of the important function of academics and faculties, textbooks and different studying supplies, approaches to the curriculum and evaluation, the function of cognitive science, and the welfare of younger folks, in addition to approaches to studying and faculties themselves.

We hope you’ll take the chance to interact with us, and in doing so, assist reaffirm foundations the place acceptable, draw from our nationwide expertise of interrupted schooling, and set up the grounds for brand spanking new approaches that may really stand the take a look at of time.

 

Our rules for the way forward for educating, studying and evaluation

1. Early literacy and numeracy are important foundations for broad and balanced studying
2. Curriculum coherence – the alignment of curriculum content material and requirements, educating practices, studying sources and evaluation – stays elementary to excessive fairness and excessive attainment for all learners
3. Curriculum and its evaluation, and all different necessities, needs to be a manageable load for all academics
4. Efficient studying needs to be constructed on selection, utilizing a well-managed mixture of adaptable approaches and modes
5. Excellence in educating and elevated attainment will be supported by well-designed and carefully-chosen expertise that may assist educating and attainment
6. Nicely-trained and well-supported academics are central to prime quality pedagogy, excessive attainment and the well-being of learners
7. Proof and cognitive science ought to inform trainer practices
8. Entry to prime quality educating and studying supplies is crucial for top of the range, manageable schooling in any respect ages
9. Reliable evaluation is important for social justice, studying assist and equitable development
10. Clear requirements are necessary for fairness, accessibility and development for all learners
11. Fairness and excessive attainment will be achieved hand in hand
12. First and second language expertise are important for all learners, together with English because the language of worldwide communication.