• Advanced Baccalaureate to replace A-Levels in England, reports say
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[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19977062[/url] [quote=BBC News][B]Voluntary work and an extended essay could be part of a shake-up for A-level students in England, reports suggest.[/B] This could see an "Advanced Baccalaureate" following on from the English Baccalaureate for 16 year olds. It would also mean the A-level system adopting features of the International Baccalaureate preferred by a number of independent schools. A Department for Education spokesman said A-levels would not be replaced and that "no decisions have been made". But Labour's education spokesman Stephen Twigg backed an "A Bacc", if it had a "broad range of subjects". The ATL teachers' union attacked the appearance of such exam changes in a newspaper leak - saying that it showed a "contempt for teachers". [B]End of spoon feeding[/B] The proposals reported in The Times newspaper suggest that the current overhaul of A-levels could see the creation of an Advanced Baccalaureate. It would include a range of A-levels, with an expectation that pupils would study a less narrow selection of subjects - such as studying sciences with an arts subject. The AS-level would continue as a separate qualification, the reports suggest. Education Secretary Michael Gove has previously called for a more academically rigorous approach to A-levels with greater involvement from universities. Universities have complained that the current A-level system does not stretch pupils sufficiently or give them the intellectual independence and curiosity needed for degree-level study. As a move away from a "spoon feeding" approach, Ofqual is currently consulting on whether modular A-levels should be scrapped and replaced with an exam at the end of two years. This consultation is also looking at ideas such as limiting the number of re-sits. The latest reports in The Times suggest that pupils would have to write a 5,000-word extended essay, adding an element that is an important part of the International Baccalaureate (IB). [B]International Baccalaureate[/B] Head teacher of Wellington College, Anthony Seldon, warmly welcomed such changes if they made the A-level system more like the IB. The providers of the IB system said such a change would be an acknowledgement that it offered the best system to equip pupils and to "ensure that the UK is internationally competitive". The Department for Education emphasised this would not mean the end of A-levels - but the addition of an A-Bacc, which would include A-levels, as a new measure for schools. "A-levels will not be replaced under any circumstances. There are public consultations about reforming A and AS-levels. There are also numerous suggestions about new A Bacc league table measures but no decisions have been made." Labour's Stephen Twigg said that he supported the "concept of an A Bacc", but said that it should have a range of subjects including computing and engineering and should work alongside their proposed "Tech Bacc" for vocational courses. The ATL teachers' union criticised how this information was reaching the public. Changes to the exam system have been anticipated by a series of newspaper leaks - an issue raised by the education select committee in questions to Mr Gove. Nansi Ellis, head of education policy and research, said: "It's right that the secretary of state is considering the future of assessment for young people. However, he shows contempt for teachers, pupils and parents by once again discussing this with journalists before talking to those who will be affected by it, or those with the expertise to ensure a changed system works. "This is piecemeal change, dreamt up by politicians, which means no-one is quite sure what will happen next," she said. Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teachers' union, attacked the proposals as "another example of Michael Gove's ideological manipulation of the school curriculum". "These changes are being made on the basis of his own personal prejudices rather than developing a curriculum which is fit for children and young people in the 21st century." Ofqual, which has been carrying out a public consultation on changes to A and AS-levels, is expected to publish the findings of its public consultation later this autumn. "Wider reforms of the qualifications system are for ministers to consider and, as regulator, we will continue to provide advice on how their policy aims can be achieved and standards and delivery secured," said an Ofqual spokeswoman.[/quote]
I like the idea of compulsory voluntary work, however I think when I was doing A-Levels I would have hated it simply for the reason that I didn't know what career I wanted to go into. I don't think it should be expected of 17-18 year olds to know what they want to do in their future, when you're that age you aren't great at thinking ahead no matter how many times an adult tells you that exams are important.
I'm so glad I sat A-levels, I like a more in depth study into a few subjects and I hate essays.
I dodged that bullet by an inch.
fuck off
[quote]Ofqual is currently consulting on whether modular A-levels should be scrapped and replaced with an exam at the end of two years.[/quote] Oh yeah make exams even more about memorisation and reguritation of information what a great idea.
[QUOTE=ThisGuy0;38088611]Oh yeah make exams even more about memorisation and reguritation of information what a great idea.[/QUOTE] But they're too easy!!! Making them artificially harder through shitty structuring is the only way to save Britain and the Queen
They used to be a test at the end of two years, and to quote nearly all of my teachers, everyone used that as an excuse to do fuck all for the first year and try to power through it in the second year. Not to mention that a single huge exam would be more about just memorising as much as possible. We changed to a multiple test modular system for that reason entirely, much as they want to try to shovel things around to make it look like they're doing something. Maybe politicians and exam board managers should be required to actually take the tests, to see what they think about them, rather than reading a report, vaguely agreeing and then bitching to the media about falling / rising grades?
lol this is pathetic exam at the end of 2 years just makes this a memory test
[QUOTE=Noss;38088794]lol this is pathetic exam at the end of 2 years just makes this a memory test[/QUOTE] and a levels aren't a memory test?
[QUOTE=Bobie;38089274]and a levels aren't a memory test?[/QUOTE] You avoid fucking people over as much if you split it into modules.
[QUOTE=Bobie;38089274]and a levels aren't a memory test?[/QUOTE] a-levels for the majority of subjects is just coursework, which is basically just taking notes/reading from a text book and then making a slideshow about it
[QUOTE=zerotwelve;38089301]a-levels for the majority of subjects is just coursework, which is basically just taking notes/reading from a text book and then making a slideshow about it[/QUOTE] a levels still have their fair share of memory tests. coursework exists as a counter to this, but it really doesn't change alot when exams make up 40-60% of your overall grade and have you ever actually taken a 100% coursework subject. i have. i didnt learn a single thing
GCSE'S and A-levels have always been a memory test, that's why I tried to pick B.Tech subjects (Subjects where there are no exams. You get marked on all your projects throughout the year and your marks get added up at the end of the year)
It depends on the subject really, the art and ICT courses I did were nearly entirely coursework while maths, physics and history had hardly any of it at all It's good to have a balance between coursework and exams though, imo
This is Spain's system As the 33% dropout rate shows, it works really well :downs:
[QUOTE=jaykray;38087860]I like the idea of compulsory voluntary work.[/QUOTE] In my day it was called Work Experience.
The whole memory test situation was why I left 6th form after one year and went to college to do a BTec instead. This one exam idea is not going to fix the whole learning to pass the exam rather than learning to increase your knowledge.
What the hell? They say they want people to study a wider range of subjects at a-level? I thought the whole point at A-level is that you start to choose where you want to go into and specialise in the subjects of your choice, not just a continuation of the useless spread of subjects that you have at GCSE. What's the point in doing sciences with arts? They are polar opposites and very rarely compatible in a degree. And as for the spoon-feeding, it depends on the teachers. Mine continuously go above the sylabus and suggest wider reading and such. Students shouldn't be forced to want to know more, they should have the interest to go out and find out more for themselves.
[QUOTE=RayvenQ;38091206]In my day it was called Work Experience.[/QUOTE] Yes but we only did work experience in year 9 or 10 (I forget which). Almost nobody knew what they wanted to do at that age.
[QUOTE=jaykray;38092804]Yes but we only did work experience in year 9 or 10 (I forget which). Almost nobody knew what they wanted to do at that age.[/QUOTE] I think with Connexions slowly disappearing, less schools are doing it. That and the reforms where pupils are now in school until 18.
[QUOTE=Teddi Orange;38093412]I don't know, everyone in my highschool was pretty happy about it as it was 2 weeks doing something different and (hopefully) fun. However I think with Connexions slowly disappearing, less schools are doing it. That and the reforms where pupils are now in school until 18.[/QUOTE] Yeah it was alright, but only because it wasn't school.
[QUOTE=Teddi Orange;38093412]I think with Connexions slowly disappearing, less schools are doing it. That and the reforms where pupils are now in school until 18.[/QUOTE] Woooah I forgot about Connexions, that was totally a thing that existed, what happened to that
[QUOTE=smurfy;38093456]Woooah I forgot about Connexions, that was totally a thing that existed, what happened to that[/QUOTE] tories killed it.
Connexions officially still exists and is operating, but they've received less funding over the years and it appears they're sort of retracting back into specific areas (Merseyside being the key area it seems). [URL]http://www.connexionslive.com[/URL] their site if anyone is interested :v: [B]Edit:[/B] It seems that each region gets its own connexions website (eg Tyne & Wear - [URL]http://www.connexions-tw.co.uk/[/URL] ) :downs:.
fuck my life. im the generation that are doing this...
Why do these dopey cunts in power have to just ruin everything? They fucked up my English grade by changing the curriculum halfway through the year.
[QUOTE=smurfy;38088759]But they're too easy!!! Making them artificially harder through shitty structuring is the only way to save Britain and the Queen[/QUOTE] I thought saving the Queen was God's job
We have the SAT which isn't about memory or regurgitation in my opinion Actually, as broken as the US educational system is, I quite like SATs as a form of test to determine skill at logical problem solving
I got sucked in to the whole International Baccalaureate thing in my Junior year, and holy hell was that a mistake. My English class was far too easy, what with the rigid structuring, and History was fucking impossible, expecting you to spout out four essays in an hour (okay, two short essays, one long essay, and two short responses), Spanish was exactly the same as English, but with more talking, and Science was the only class it did well. You couldn't choose any of your classes. It tried its hardest to convince you that this bludgeoning of information was learning, but it was really just wrote memorization made artificially difficult. The worst part was this stupid fucking culture it made around it. Between the bullshit "Theory of Knowledge" philosophy class, artificial difficulty, and sheer amount of time it made you spend together in and out of class, it made this fucking cult mentality. Long story short, I was way better off just choosing AP courses. I learned more, any difficulty came from the actual material, I had a refreshing amount of freedom, and I wasn't constantly pressured by a deluge of ridiculous essays and this monolithic looming cult-like entity. HARDER != BETTER
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