GCSE’s. The words can induce stress instantly to the minds of young aspiring teenagers filled with potential. Many people have taken their mocks in past few weeks, experiencing a taste of the of the nearly new assessments. Long gone are the forgiving modules and coursework, and in place harder questions ensuring tighter grade boundaries. But just how does the new GCSE’s compare with the old? And how is it affecting the minds of our future?
“By making GCSEs more demanding, more fulfilling, and more stretching we can give our young people the broad, deep and balanced education which will equip them to win in the global race.” - Michael Gove, Secretary of state for education 2010-2014.
But just how different is it? Grade 9 is the highest grade and will be awarded to fewer pupils than the redundant A*. An 8 is a Low A*, but never the less an A. This could despair a student, as getting an 8 would have been equal to a 9 before the change. Many students depended on coursework, as there was no proper time restraint and it could have easily been improved by the influence of teacher scrutinization. But alas, coursework is no longer a contribution to the grades that depend on your future. The level of difficulty can be compared to those of the O-levels abolished in 1987.
Approximately half a million 16-year-olds sat the remodeled exams, and what was the impact? “With higher grades boundaries and little time to learn the new specification, it’s obvious this is taking a toll on my mental health. There are many sleepless nights and crying has slithered into my daily routine” explains a student from South-East London. The fact that there is no coursework means that an exam determines your complete grade. One exam, 1 hour, changes the rest of your life.
But, not all hope is lost. It is ensured that students are not disadvantaged. The exams regulator (Ofqual), uses a technique called comparable outcomes, which ties grades to the prior attainment of GCSE students, so grade boundaries will be of similar level.
It is clear that the new GCSE’s are causing great distress and increasing mental health problems, but this is a step for Britain’s future.
“By making GCSEs more demanding, more fulfilling, and more stretching we can give our young people the broad, deep and balanced education which will equip them to win in the global race.” - Michael Gove
It is natural for humans to stress over life events such as GCSE’s, but what would we do without them? How can we measure academic ability? How can we equip students for the future, where time and smarts are everything to be successful? The change is sudden, but as months progress, schools will be able to prepare their students to do something amazing – their best.
