Plan to replace GCSEs with Baccalaureates is to be scrapped

The idea to rid of core GSCE exams in favour of English Baccalaureate Certificates is to be dropped

16:34 07 February 2013

Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, is to scrap the plan of having English Baccalaureate Certificates in place of key GCSE examinations in England. The government will no longer move forwards with the idea of having Baccalaureates following a report which apparently stated the change could be too sudden.

 

With the original idea being for Baccalaureates to shake-up the exam system to help improve education in England, the plan is now to be dropped.

 

The reason for the apparent ‘u-turn’ is linked to last week’s report from the Commons Education Select Committee, who stated that introducing English Baccalaureate Certificates would be ‘too much, too fast’.

 

The government, who arguably want to improve educational standards in England, has taken notice of the warning. At the same time new plans are to be considered.

 

Stephen Twigg, who is the Shadow Education Secretary for Labour, commented on the topic when speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He is quoted by the BBC saying: "This is a humiliating climbdown for Michael Gove but more important than that it is really good news for education.

 

"The proposal risked turning the clock back to the kind of exam system that we had when I was at school that wrote a lot of young people off at 14 but it also crowded out a lot of very important parts of the curriculum."

 

It is understood the news to drop the plan of scrapping GCSEs has been welcomed by certain bodies, in particular teachers and teachers unions are reportedly pleased with the outcome.

 

Michael Gove’s original plan was to introduce English Baccalaureate Certificates to have more rigorous exams for students when it comes to key GCSE subjects English, Maths and Science.

 

Baccalaureates were expected to be undertaken as of 2015, and were being viewed by some as being similar to O-level examinations. The plan was for there to be Baccalaureate exams at the end of the course.