A Petition for Change: English Literature GCSE 

In the last week, a petition was spread around various social media platforms to change the English literature GCSE from closed book to open book; it currently has 161,291 signatures. This is because, evident from the large number of signatures it received, many students are currently struggling under the current pressure of the exam.

Ever since the September of 2015, the GCSE courses in English and Maths have been graded in a new way, using grades 9-1 instead of A*-G. The changes mean that the highest level achievable is equivalent to an A**. However, this doesn’t mean that it is now easier to attain a high level in the exam. In fact, the opposite is true. 

Students are now required to take the exam in closed book conditions, meaning that the 15 poems, Shakespearian play, 19th century novel and 20th century novel that they must read and study are to be memorised. With no text to go on during the exams, many students seem to now feel increasingly pressured by the work required of them. Last year was the first year of 9-1 exams and, unsurprisingly, achievement dipped. The number of students acquiring an A*-A equivalent grades dropped by 1% whilst the number of people achieving grade D-G equivalent grades increased by 1%. 

I asked a current year 10 student how she felt about the current English literature exams. “It is beneficial to remember some quotes off by heart,” she said,” but I think it is far too demanding for teenagers to not only have to remember quotes from a book, but also to have to remember how to annotate them. Having an open book would allow students to actually show their writing skills rather than just their memory.”

Due to a seemingly unanimous feeling of stress about this exam, a poll made on https://petition.parliament.uk/ began to circulate. The map of votes shows that London had the most concentrated amount of votes out of the whole of the UK, and, because of this large number of votes, Parliament will now consider this petition for debate.

Now, all that the student population of London can do is wait, and hope that - from looking at not only the statistics but also the outcry produced from GCSE candidates - the government might act and change English literature back from closed book to open book once again.

To sign the petition, go to https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/200299

By Alice Foster, Gumley House Convent School