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Too many GCSEs?

Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 11:30 pm
by Guest55
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/ed ... -says.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interesting ...

I do think the number of GCSEs should be fewer now courses are linear.

Re: Too many GCSEs?

Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 11:41 pm
by scary mum
I do too. I do worry about my poor DS doing umpteen GCSEs with high predictions for all - how do they know he will do this if he has to do all the exams at once? I suspect there will be a drop in grades & suddenly schools will wake up and realise that they should be doing fewer.

Re: Too many GCSEs?

Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2013 8:03 am
by southbucks3
I may be wrong here, but I thought when I was at school, the number was capped to 9 in one session, and we were allowed to do a "hobby" 1 year o level running concurrently with our first year a level studies. (I did art, my friend did Spanish). With history, geography and English literacy the vast amount of knowledge you had to revise, along with the other more functional subjects, meant that was plenty of study. I am not saying this was better than current systems, but if they are studying 12+ gcse at the same degree of intensity, how on earth do they fit in the occasional under age drink with pals, or other more virtuous extra curriculum activity? Surely at some stage their knowledge absorption rate will dilute, and dwindle?

re: the 2025 project, not sure about virtual experiments...nothing really will compare to the pong of sulphur, or the reality of slicing up a real worm will it?

Re: Too many GCSEs?

Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2013 9:12 am
by Reading Mum
at our grammar in the 80s 10 was standard but if you were in the top maths set you sat that early and did stats afterwards taking it up to 11.

Re: Too many GCSEs?

Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2013 10:23 am
by scary mum
I did 9 (well known indie), with one done early (English language) - (very :D ) late 70s. Those in the top maths set (not me :( ) did maths early as well, and then something else the following year (AS type thingy??). Some did Spanish in one year in the 6th form (not me :lol: :lol: ).

Re: Too many GCSEs?

Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2013 10:33 am
by mystery
Late 70s at the girls' selective in our town - everyone did 9 o levels. At the boys' selective they did 12. Sexism really. Many strings of grade As at both and lots of extra curricular activities done to a high level too.

No coursework or exams along the way to take up time which could otherwise be spent learning at home or at school was maybe the reason why it was easy to pack more in. More to cover in maths too. I remember calculus, for example, in year 9.

We were definitely the years of not being taught grammar though - you just had to pick it up by osmosis or be taught it when you learned a foreign language. It is probably why some of this generation of teachers struggles to teach SPAG.

Re: Too many GCSEs?

Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2013 10:54 am
by southbucks3
scary mum wrote:I did 9 (well known indie), with one done early (English language) - (very :D ) late 70s. Those in the top maths set (not me :( ) did maths early as well, and then something else the following year (AS type thingy??). Some did Spanish in one year in the 6th form (not me :lol: :lol: ).
Yes, I sat English a year early, only two of us passed though? I still resent my C grade, as I was only 14 when I sat the exam, I feel it was a little harsh. :cry: Also annoying, as those who failed, were allowed to re-take the exam the following year, but not I, as they made me sit further maths instead...which I hated, and was rubbish at, so got another C grade! Oh happy memories :evil:

Re: Too many GCSEs?

Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2013 11:07 pm
by JSN
double digit GCSEs is mad , unless you want to do further/additional Maths
the private schools have been doing linear exams for yrs(iGCESs) 9-subjects in one sitting is enough ,top unis only consider the top 8 acadamic subjects anyway. When is the state sector going to learn no one is impressed by 15 gcses spread over 2 yrs- racking up points in league tables only to discover A*/A ratio in the <50% which will not cut the mustard with Oxbridge/Med schools or even for the most competitive degrees at the London Colleges or the traditional Red Bricks ., its always the state sector that have indulged in this nonsense,.
you need 8 proper academic subjects and if you must 1 micky mouse gsce is ok, thats it , at 14-16 one should have time to still play/socialise ect-simples, not rocket science

Re: Too many GCSEs?

Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2013 11:17 pm
by Guest55
its always the state sector that have indulged in this nonsense
JSN - that just isn't true - private schools have a similar record of too many exams.

Re: Too many GCSEs?

Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2013 11:39 pm
by JSN
Thats quite a mild riposte from youself , usually I expect you to try to beat seven bells out of me- :lol: I am grateful for small mercies though!