[Closed] GCSE exams

Well, they've been making GCSE's easier and easier for years and nobody questioned whether that was 'fair' ...

Fair that the people who set the exams can't spell? Not really.

Fair to whom?

fair to the pupils taking new harder exams?

The science GCSEs have been a bit jobbie for the last 3 or 4 years since the last lot of changes and I think it is commonly thought by most science teachers that they are not the best preparation for A level. Most independent schools don't do them any more and have moved to the tougher, more traditional IGCSE (state schools are not allowed to use the IGCSE) as it better prepares students for A level. If the new GCSEs are closer to the IGCSE then great - if grades go down as a consequence its a shame if it actually makes a difference to a child's chances later in life but it will be a bit of paper that might mean a bit more. I would far rather try to teach A level science to a student with a C grade at IGCSE than a B grade at GCSE.

That said I'm a firm believer that GCSEs in general have not got "easier and easier for years" but schools have got better and better and getting kids better grades through improved standards of teaching and coaching* and better identification and help for students with learning difficulties.

*coaching to do well in exams rather than necessarily teaching the syllabus - not really a good thing but an inevitable consequence of school league tables and teacher performance targets.

The schools liason person at our uni said that moles had only recently being re-introduced to GCSE chemistry. Is that true? Seems almost surreal that you could attempt to teach chemistry without this concept.

I think that is correct yes. Returning to the original question - I think the unfair bit was that for a few years students got a crap science education and lulled into a false sense of security in their ability by the grade.

GCSEs in general have not got "easier and easier for years"

It's all a bit Daily Mail isn't it, you're damned either way. Grades go up, "oh, exams are getting easier;" grades go down, "the standard of education is falling."

I do wonder if there's a problem of our own making here. Kids are disengaged and wondering why they're struggling with these "easy" exams, maybe it's because we've been telling them they're all worthless shits for most of their lives.

Convert, the flaw in your post is that the vast majority of kids doing gcse science do not go on to do a leve.

I taught gcse chem last few year and moles was in it. It wasnt in gcse science though

OK - if you are not too interested in my opinion of the GCSE as prep for A level look at it another way - the GCSE for the last few years got buggered about with and did become a bit mickey mouse and "too easy". It has now returned to it's former ways, or maybe a bit better with luck -(edit- my knowledge is a bit sketchy as we do IGCSE now rather than GCSE so I'm not that familiar with the most recent syllabus and my science teaching these days is just a bit of A level Physics). Current students will now be getting the correct grade for their ability.

If it's all about making things "fair" for you rather than quality of the education the best way to do it would be to dock a grade off those who sat it over the last few years or ask them come back to do the bits of "proper science" they missed out on. Getting stressed about the current lot having to learn a bit more and work a bit harder is flawed thinking imo. They are getting it fair, it was the last few cohorts where it was got wrong.

So the ones that fail what they would have past last year are getting it fair? Not sure I agree with your concept of fair are you Mr Gove? I'm guessing not but you are one of the ones working in an institute he is aiming to make look better.

So the ones that fail what they would have past last year are getting it fair?

Same question reversed - have the ones that past last year that probably shouldn't have been given a "fair" result? When you change something there are always winners and losers sadly. It was the same for my education - last of the O'level generation and according to the conspiracy theorists we were made to look bad in comparison to the shiny new GCSEs.

I'm guessing not but you are one of the ones working in an institute he is aiming to make look better.

As I said earlier, where I work the kids do IGCSE (in the core subjects and our own in-house qualification instead of GCSEs in all the others) and opted out of league tables years ago so the changes Gove is making (most of which look pretty poor and I feel sorry for my former colleagues from when I was in the state system who are having to deal with them) so in this regard at least his meddlings have no effect on either the way we work or how the place "looks" in comparison to the state sector.