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Qualification reform consultation planned

Friday, 14 February 2014

Exam hallA major public consultation exercise is being planned as schools in the Isle of Man gear up for changes in qualifications for 14-16 year olds that will impact on pupils from September 2015.  

The GCSE examinations that were introduced in 1988 are going to be extensively reformed in England and the Isle of Man’s Department of Education and Children has a decision to make on whether to follow that path or choose an alternative way forward, explained Tim Crookall MHK, Minister for Education and Children. 

‘The GCSEs our schools have been following, administered by the exam boards in England, will cease to be available over the next three years. No change is not an option,’ the Minister said.

‘We plan to involve all our major stakeholders – students themselves, parents, teachers, employers and the wider public in our decision-making.’ 

Paul Craine, Co-ordinating Adviser for 11 to 19 Education at the DEC, who will lead the consultation, explained:

‘There have already been changes to GCSEs in England. Modular courses that were only introduced in most subjects in 2009 have already been scrapped. 

‘From September 2015, unrolling over a two-year period, most GCSEs in England will cease to include coursework and will no longer have higher and foundation tier papers, meaning pupils of all abilities will sit the same examination papers (something never tried before in the UK). 

‘Perhaps most significantly, GCSEs will be graded from 9 to 1 (instead of from A* to G) and the intention is that fewer pupils will attain the higher grades.’ 

The Wales and Northern Ireland governments have consulted on the proposed changes and have rejected them, Mr Craine said. ‘Wales and Northern Ireland will continue to offer modular GCSEs graded A* to G with coursework and tiered papers. Clearly, the Isle of Man does not have to follow England with this reform.’ 

He said:

‘We have already had a great deal of discussion with our headteachers and we believe that it is now time to begin a programme of awareness-raising for everyone who has a stake in education. 

‘Between now and Easter, we will run a series of events enabling all groups to gain an understanding of the options. There are plans for School Councils to discuss the issues, especially in Years 7 and 8, which would be the first year groups to take the new English qualification should our schools follow that pathway.  

‘We feel sure that parents will want to know more about the options and will want to ask questions, so we will be organising regional public awareness-raising events during March and will be advertising these shortly. 

‘Special briefings are being planned for Tynwald members and for employers. We are also keen to gather further views from teachers and headteachers.’ 

Mr Craine said

'the Department would use the opportunity of Reach Higher, a conference addressing the issue of the employability of young people, being held at the Mount Murray Hotel and Country Club on Wednesday 2 April, to launch its public consultation. 

'The consultation will focus not on the detail, some of which is not yet clear, but on the broader issues of the reforms and the options open to the Island. 

‘This consultation will be followed by discussions with secondary subject leaders across the range of GCSE subjects. All of this will lead up to a decision in time for the start of the new academic year,’

Mr Craine said. 

‘There are still uncertainties about the changes in England, which will be phased in over a number of years, starting with English and maths in 2015, but the Department is hopeful that there will be sufficient information by September or sooner. That will give teachers a full year to prepare for the changes.’ 

The Minister said of the consultation:

‘This decision is not one that the Department will take lightly and we are very keen to engage the wider community in enabling us to plan a way forward in an area that will impact on students for years to come.’

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