francine Posted June 11, 2013 Report Share Posted June 11, 2013 MP Michael Gove has said GCSE's will change, the grading will be 8 to 1. Why do they always mess about with the system when it already works? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 11, 2013 Report Share Posted June 11, 2013 "it already works" Joke of the month? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 11, 2013 Report Share Posted June 11, 2013 The fact that it doesn't work is something of a clue really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 11, 2013 Report Share Posted June 11, 2013 Perhaps they are trying to un-dumb it?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted June 11, 2013 Report Share Posted June 11, 2013 The only way to avoid creeping grade inflation over the years - when the entire teaching and education profession has a vested interest in artificially producing evidence that standards are improving - is to abandon a grading scheme based on absolute grade boundaries altogether. If they are going to award Grades 1 to 8 (I think I heard that 8 was high and 1 was low) then they should just mark everyone's papers and split the results into cohorts of 12.5% of the total entrants. The top 12.5% get an 8, the next 12.5% get a 7, and so on. Then it doesn't matter if this years exam is easier or harder than last years, what you end up with is an objective measure of a candidate's standing within their year group - and since year groups don't vary that much from one year to the previous or the next, it would also provide an objective comparison of attainment between candidates from different years. (Oh, sorry. That would mean that GCSE students would be in competition with each other to achieve the best grades - just as they'll be in competition with each other for the best apprenticeships, jobs, or university places - and the liberal educational establishment has spent years trying to abolish any kind of competitiveness, hasn't it.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted June 11, 2013 Report Share Posted June 11, 2013 If they are going to award Grades 1 to 8 (I think I heard that 8 was high and 1 was low) then they should just mark everyone's papers and split the results into cohorts of 12.5% of the total entrants. The top 12.5% get an 8, the next 12.5% get a 7, and so on. Theoretically that would mean the top 12.5% could be equivalent to a 100% pass mark and the bottom 12.5 % equivalent to a 93% pass mark. Or working from the other end the bottom 12.5 don't get any marks and the top 12.5% only get 7 marks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 11, 2013 Report Share Posted June 11, 2013 Had to laugh at the Labour objection to these changes - " they fail to protect weaker students" - says it all really; in their world everyone gets a medal! Bit like the convoy system during WW2, every ship kept pace with the slowest ship - not the recipe for competing in the global market I'm afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted June 11, 2013 Report Share Posted June 11, 2013 When I was at school I went to the Grammar School...... When we were in the third year they foolishly (imho) changed it to a secondary modern but kept us on the grammar syllabus and started the new year with secondary education (girls and everything!) .... back then, they had a remedial class where the new thickys were taught how many fingers they had; so we had a true 3 tier education system for a while.... of course now, you aren't allowed to call a kid thick and no matter what; he must be given the opportunity to go to university..... and they call this progress!!?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 12, 2013 Report Share Posted June 12, 2013 But they did create an all dancing, all singing education system Baz - and gave them degrees in it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted June 12, 2013 Report Share Posted June 12, 2013 It made so much sense back in the 70's.... clever kids went to Grammar school and became the solicitors and doctors and went to university and such like and the other kids went to secondary and did the non-professional jobs...... In the main of course; there were many exceptions; myself included because I ended up as an electrician!!! Telling every kid they could go to Uni; regardless of the meaningless courses they ended up doing has done bugger all for the country apart from massage the egos of the politicians and let some snotty kid tell you how clever he is because he went to uni.... even though a degree in David Beckham is hardly life changing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 12, 2013 Report Share Posted June 12, 2013 Problem was Baz, the secondary schools produced factory fodder - and when the factories closed, they had nowhere to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WireWarrior97 Posted June 12, 2013 Report Share Posted June 12, 2013 I'm doing my GCSEs at the moment, and slightly procrastinating by showing up on here (was checking the WTFC forum and got distracted, oops), but oh well. Schools at the moment are more bothered about their pass %s than the individual students. I've been given an extra 4 exams in subjects I've already passed just for the sake of a slightly higher mark so my school looks better! More stress for me, but atleast my school looks slightly better, so it's all good isn't it? I really couldn't care less about having a slightly higher mark in subjects I'm not continuing in college next year. This is as much a problem as all the other stuff you lot all seem so bothered about, and that's from a student's point of view, not the point of view of someone sat at home who hasn't done an exam for 30-odd years! The exams aren't easy, but the pass rates are high because the schools are constantly pushing to get the best results, not because the government are faffing about to make give everyone a pass. The students who should fail are the ones who are failing, and the cleverer ones with higher passes (As and Bs) look better than those with Cs, so there's no problem really! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 12, 2013 Report Share Posted June 12, 2013 WW97 please don't imagine exams finish when you leave school. I'm 61 and took my last set of exams in 2000 to get qualified for the job I now hold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 12, 2013 Report Share Posted June 12, 2013 Perhaps WW, you could tell us whether you take these exams as modules or all in one go? Whether your marked on course work or at the point of one single exam, which hopefully draws on what knowledge you've absorbed and retained (in your head rather than on google)? Whether your teachers have tried to develop your knowledge and understanding of a subject or whether they have merely coaxed you to pass an exam? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted June 12, 2013 Report Share Posted June 12, 2013 Obs, have you sat one of these exams yourself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted June 12, 2013 Report Share Posted June 12, 2013 10:42.... shouldn't WW be in bed by now ready for a bright and breezy start at school?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.