GCSEs scrapped for more 'rigorous' test (From Daily Echo)
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Hampshire teens to sit GCSEs for final time in 2016
4:00am Tuesday 18th September 2012 in News
By Tom Moseley, Parliamentary Correspondent
Education Secretary Michael Gove
HAMPSHIRE’S teenagers will sit GCSE English, maths and science exams for the last time in 2016.
A new qualification, the English Baccalaureate Certificate (EBacc), will take its place, the Government announced yesterday.
It comes after the controversial remarking of GCSE English papers that saw more than 130 teenagers in Southampton miss out on the vital C grade they had been expecting, as revealed yesterday by the Daily Echo.
Ministers said the EBacc would mean more “rigorous” exams and give each child an equal opportunity.
But critics fear the beefed-up regime would cast aside youngsters who could not succeed in the core subjects.
The new qualification will scrap the retaking of “modules”, reduce coursework and bring back tough end-of-year exams.
Children of all abilities will take the EBacc and there will be only one exam board for each subject, in order to prevent competition between boards to deliver tests which are easier to pass.
Students will begin sitting the new qualification in 2015, after the next General Election .
MPs were told about the shake-up by education Secretary Michael Gove in |the House of Commons last night.
Winchester MP Steve Brine said: “The GCSE was designed for a different time and I agree the secondary exam system does need updating to drag Britain back up the competitiveness league.”
But the Tory MP said he would be looking for guarantees on the date of students who are “not among the brightest in class”, those with special educational needs and how non-core subject would be recognised.
Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne , the MP for Eastleigh , said: “It’s a very good step forward, and is a combination of both Conservative and Lib Dem ideas.
“There’s a very clear commitment to a solid benchmark which people will be able to rely on.”
But John Denham , Labour MP for Southampton Itchen , was not convinced.
He said: “Everyone is in favour of raising standards, but the danger is that this will take us backwards to a time when only a minority of students were expected to succeed.” Education Secretary Michael Gove told MPs: “It is time for the race to the bottom to end. We believe it is time to tackle grade inflation and dumbing down. We believe it is time to raise aspirations and restore rigour.”
Comments(30)
Home Rule for England
says...
9:20am Tue 18 Sep 12
Don't give up trying to pretend that we are one happy Britain do they, all British together? In fact Mr Brine, these reforms only appy to England! Britain and England are not the same thing and Britain has absolutely nothing to do with it.
MGRA
says...
9:50am Tue 18 Sep 12
southy
says...
10:05am Tue 18 Sep 12
hulla baloo
says...
10:12am Tue 18 Sep 12
southy wrote:Seems you know something we don't. Is there an election soon then?
This will only happen if the Torys are still in office, as each day go's by now its beginning to look unlikely this Government will pass the New year.
Shoong
says...
10:21am Tue 18 Sep 12
southy wrote:Just sticking a reminder in my calender for the 31st of December so we can come back to this one.
This will only happen if the Torys are still in office, as each day go's by now its beginning to look unlikely this Government will pass the New year.
I suppose all media outlets have been 'hacked' to suppress this information then rather than it being the usual spout of random gibberish.
mtdiablo
says...
10:23am Tue 18 Sep 12
southy
says...
10:30am Tue 18 Sep 12
hulla baloo wrote:They will be push into with a vote of noconftdence
southy wrote:Seems you know something we don't. Is there an election soon then?
This will only happen if the Torys are still in office, as each day go's by now its beginning to look unlikely this Government will pass the New year.
A number of things will be happing over the next 3 mths, 1/ there is 2 by-elections coming up both was Tory wins from a normal Labour seat, Torys will lose theses seats back to Labour, 2/ Oct 20th there is a mass demo/rally in London bigger than the last one where abouts 1 million turned up, 3/ After the rally a date will be set for the General Strike. there is all ready discontented back benchers in the Torys and Lib/Dems which be enought to bring the government down
Shoong
says...
10:36am Tue 18 Sep 12
How on earth is a mass rally by the great entitled going to contribute towards an early general election? It will only damage the reputation of the Unions more.
If you would be kind enough to let us know where someone like yourself who is not even on the fringes of UK politics get this info from that would be great so we can all draw our own conclusions.
southy
says...
10:39am Tue 18 Sep 12
mtdiablo wrote:Theres is by-elections coming up which the torys are expect to lose to labour. labour only needs to win 1 but it looks like they got both in the bag.
I think the possibility of an early election died after the Tories refused to back Lord's reform. The Lib Dems should have withdrawn their support for Tory policies in response, but instead they gave in and once again traded convictions for power. Unless something drastic happens, this government will see out it's term.
Which will be enough to take out that little rule they bought out of making a vote of no-confidence needing 51% of votes to go to the country
Linesman
says...
10:40am Tue 18 Sep 12
hulla baloo wrote:Perhaps the love affair between Dodgy Dave and Naughty Nick will be in tatters by then.
southy wrote:Seems you know something we don't. Is there an election soon then?
This will only happen if the Torys are still in office, as each day go's by now its beginning to look unlikely this Government will pass the New year.
Could it be that Naughty Nick will remember what education policy his party promised?
Dodgy Dave has not exactly covered himself in glory with his leadership of a coalition government, so could we expect more decisive leadership if he headed a minority government?
I very much doubt it.
southy
says...
10:44am Tue 18 Sep 12
just 1 win is all Labour needs, and you will see that no vote of confidence in government
hulla baloo
says...
11:04am Tue 18 Sep 12
southy wrote:Bold statements. Will be interesting to see how (in) accurate you are. Did your Sikh friend ( name escapes me) predict this?
hulla baloo wrote:They will be push into with a vote of noconftdence
southy wrote:Seems you know something we don't. Is there an election soon then?
This will only happen if the Torys are still in office, as each day go's by now its beginning to look unlikely this Government will pass the New year.
A number of things will be happing over the next 3 mths, 1/ there is 2 by-elections coming up both was Tory wins from a normal Labour seat, Torys will lose theses seats back to Labour, 2/ Oct 20th there is a mass demo/rally in London bigger than the last one where abouts 1 million turned up, 3/ After the rally a date will be set for the General Strike. there is all ready discontented back benchers in the Torys and Lib/Dems which be enought to bring the government down
Home Rule for England
says...
11:06am Tue 18 Sep 12
He said 'the secondary education system' implying that Britain has one education system. It doesn't. Education is devolved and education in Scotland Wales and N.Ireland does not necessarily follow the English education system. I'm fed up with politicians of all parties refusing to acknowledge England or conflating England and Britain/the UK.
They do the same with health saying 'the NHS' when they should say the English NHS if they are talking about England.
Georgem
says...
11:09am Tue 18 Sep 12
southy wrote:So when one joins a political party, one is issued with The Big Secret Book Of Truth?
Shoong you need to join a political party to know what is going on, the last mass demo/rally in london never harmed the unions it improve them by more than normal people joining them.
just 1 win is all Labour needs, and you will see that no vote of confidence in government
MGRA
says...
11:16am Tue 18 Sep 12
Home Rule for England wrote:you are unable to unpick the meaning of his message.
MGRA I am sorry but that's not what Mr Brine said. He is quoted as saying "the secondary exam system does need updating to drag Britain back up the competitiveness league.”
He said 'the secondary education system' implying that Britain has one education system. It doesn't. Education is devolved and education in Scotland Wales and N.Ireland does not necessarily follow the English education system. I'm fed up with politicians of all parties refusing to acknowledge England or conflating England and Britain/the UK.
They do the same with health saying 'the NHS' when they should say the English NHS if they are talking about England.
mtdiablo
says...
11:18am Tue 18 Sep 12
Ginger_cyclist
says...
12:48pm Tue 18 Sep 12
mtdiablo
says...
12:58pm Tue 18 Sep 12
southy
says...
1:12pm Tue 18 Sep 12
mtdiablo wrote:Go back to when this government first got into office, and what was there first act that was to move the goal post of a vote of no-confidence from 50-50 to 51 to 49 becuase it was close to being unworkalbe government, and they needed 100% vote of the Torys and Lib/Dems to get to scrape this though.
southy, unfortunately I don't have access to the wider internet. Are you saying that with these two by elections, it will give Labour 51% of the House of Commons? or is it Labour + Lib Dem? Genuine question, I can't remember the make up of the Commons at the moment.
And what is happening in the Torys and Lib/Dem back benchers, it will not take many for the government to be force to go to the country.
2010 election result was 650 MPs which 304 are Torys, Lib/Dems hold the balance with 57, Labour 254, others 34 that includes speaker and deputies plus 1 seat vacant.
southy
says...
1:16pm Tue 18 Sep 12
Georgem wrote:No Georgem you get to hear things that do not make the media, being on the out side you are relying on the news media to tell you, but with that you only going to get the parts that will interest the media that will sale papers, the rest you do not get to hear about for that you need some sort of way for the information to be pass down, and for you to find out you will need to belong to a political party.
southy wrote:So when one joins a political party, one is issued with The Big Secret Book Of Truth?
Shoong you need to join a political party to know what is going on, the last mass demo/rally in london never harmed the unions it improve them by more than normal people joining them.
just 1 win is all Labour needs, and you will see that no vote of confidence in government
mtdiablo
says...
1:38pm Tue 18 Sep 12
southy
says...
1:57pm Tue 18 Sep 12
mtdiablo wrote:Since then the Torys have lost the 6 Scottish Tory reps MP's they are now 6 SNP, The SF lot you can count them off the books right away they do not turn up at the commons, but all the rest of the Northern Ireland lot have been voting with Labour.
Okay southy, thanks for that. However, you're banking on almost all of the Lib Dems siding with Labour, as well as a majority of the others (all of these would add up to 345). This is increadibly unlikely - I can't see the Lib Dems being willing to give up power so easily. Nor do I see all of the other parties (especially the Northern Island contingent) voting with Labour. It's a precarious situation for the Coalition, no doubt, but it would only take 20 MPs to side with the Torys, and the vote would fail.
Lib/Dems know that they have got to save there own skin at the moment and there is a big revolt going on with the back benchers, and the same thing is happening in the Tory Party with the Johnson backers who want Cameron gone.
southy
says...
2:00pm Tue 18 Sep 12
southy wrote:And when this General Strike happens it will push this government over the edge
mtdiablo wrote:Since then the Torys have lost the 6 Scottish Tory reps MP's they are now 6 SNP, The SF lot you can count them off the books right away they do not turn up at the commons, but all the rest of the Northern Ireland lot have been voting with Labour.
Okay southy, thanks for that. However, you're banking on almost all of the Lib Dems siding with Labour, as well as a majority of the others (all of these would add up to 345). This is increadibly unlikely - I can't see the Lib Dems being willing to give up power so easily. Nor do I see all of the other parties (especially the Northern Island contingent) voting with Labour. It's a precarious situation for the Coalition, no doubt, but it would only take 20 MPs to side with the Torys, and the vote would fail.
Lib/Dems know that they have got to save there own skin at the moment and there is a big revolt going on with the back benchers, and the same thing is happening in the Tory Party with the Johnson backers who want Cameron gone.
hulla baloo
says...
2:18pm Tue 18 Sep 12
southy wrote:What general strike is this?
southy wrote:And when this General Strike happens it will push this government over the edge
mtdiablo wrote:Since then the Torys have lost the 6 Scottish Tory reps MP's they are now 6 SNP, The SF lot you can count them off the books right away they do not turn up at the commons, but all the rest of the Northern Ireland lot have been voting with Labour.
Okay southy, thanks for that. However, you're banking on almost all of the Lib Dems siding with Labour, as well as a majority of the others (all of these would add up to 345). This is increadibly unlikely - I can't see the Lib Dems being willing to give up power so easily. Nor do I see all of the other parties (especially the Northern Island contingent) voting with Labour. It's a precarious situation for the Coalition, no doubt, but it would only take 20 MPs to side with the Torys, and the vote would fail.
Lib/Dems know that they have got to save there own skin at the moment and there is a big revolt going on with the back benchers, and the same thing is happening in the Tory Party with the Johnson backers who want Cameron gone.
mtdiablo
says...
2:25pm Tue 18 Sep 12
You're still banking on the Lib Dems voting with Labour - I feel that the power is too intoxicating for the vast majority of them.
Shoong
says...
3:04pm Tue 18 Sep 12
southy wrote:No, I don't need to join a political party to make my own mind up .
Shoong you need to join a political party to know what is going on, the last mass demo/rally in london never harmed the unions it improve them by more than normal people joining them.
just 1 win is all Labour needs, and you will see that no vote of confidence in government
You might need one to make yourself feel self important but I don't share that desire.
So remember folks - you don't know what's going on unless you join a political party says a representative of the TUSC.
Your Nostradamus style predictions might come to pass.
But if they don't, prepare to explain yourself.
After all, you are a member of a political party so you should have no excuses for getting it wrong.
Shoong
says...
3:06pm Tue 18 Sep 12
southy wrote:Your hedging all your bets here.
southy wrote:And when this General Strike happens it will push this government over the edge
mtdiablo wrote:Since then the Torys have lost the 6 Scottish Tory reps MP's they are now 6 SNP, The SF lot you can count them off the books right away they do not turn up at the commons, but all the rest of the Northern Ireland lot have been voting with Labour.
Okay southy, thanks for that. However, you're banking on almost all of the Lib Dems siding with Labour, as well as a majority of the others (all of these would add up to 345). This is increadibly unlikely - I can't see the Lib Dems being willing to give up power so easily. Nor do I see all of the other parties (especially the Northern Island contingent) voting with Labour. It's a precarious situation for the Coalition, no doubt, but it would only take 20 MPs to side with the Torys, and the vote would fail.
Lib/Dems know that they have got to save there own skin at the moment and there is a big revolt going on with the back benchers, and the same thing is happening in the Tory Party with the Johnson backers who want Cameron gone.
Prepare to lose all credibility (what little you have) if you get it wrong then!
Georgem
says...
3:55pm Tue 18 Sep 12
southy wrote:In which case, under the Freedom of Information Act, I demand, as a taxpayer, to be given the full facts as published apparently only to members of political parties.
Georgem wrote:No Georgem you get to hear things that do not make the media, being on the out side you are relying on the news media to tell you, but with that you only going to get the parts that will interest the media that will sale papers, the rest you do not get to hear about for that you need some sort of way for the information to be pass down, and for you to find out you will need to belong to a political party.
southy wrote:So when one joins a political party, one is issued with The Big Secret Book Of Truth?
Shoong you need to join a political party to know what is going on, the last mass demo/rally in london never harmed the unions it improve them by more than normal people joining them.
just 1 win is all Labour needs, and you will see that no vote of confidence in government
Georgem
says...
3:56pm Tue 18 Sep 12
Shoong wished:
prepare to explain yourself.
Southy will surely deliver.....
skin2000 says...
8:03am Tue 18 Sep 12