The public is being urged to participate in a consultation exercise that will determine the qualifications Island students study for in the future.
The Department of Education and Children will launch its major consultation at the ‘Reach Higher’ conference on the employability of the Island’s young people, taking place at the Mount Murray Hotel and Country Club on Wednesday 2 April.
With GCSEs being overhauled in England from 2015, the Island is reviewing the way forward it will take, with three options being discussed – following the route England takes on GCSEs, switching to the International GCSE (IGCSE) or switching to the Scottish qualifications National 4 and National 5.
Tim Crookall MHK, Minister for Education and Children, will use the conference to introduce the consultation, which will run until May 16.
He said:
‘This is an important opportunity for pupils, parents, employers, teachers, pupils and anyone with an interest in 14-16 education to contribute to the decision on the best way forward
‘The Isle of Man has a real choice to make and I am very keen to involve the wider community in this consultation process and to hear people’s views.’
From 2 April, the consultation will be available at survey monkey on www.surveymonkey.com/s/V3N3CXQ and via www.gov.im/consultations.gov
News about the survey can be followed via a specially set up Facebook page – www.facebook.com/examreform
Paul Craine, Co-ordinating Adviser for 11-19 Education with the DEC, emphasised the importance of a good response to the consultation, saying:
‘There are certain things that we need the consultation to tell us. We need to know how pupils, parents, teachers and others feel about the planned return to assessment solely by end-of-course tests. We need to hear how the community would feel about the possibility of switching from English to Scottish qualifications. We also need to have a response to the alternative idea of using the IGCSEs, which are independent of any government.
‘We hope that many people will take the time to respond to the 10 key statements and offer us any additional views, preferences or concerns in the open question.’
The public consultation follows discussions with headteachers and a series of four public meetings across the Island, which were attended by more than 300 people.
Mr Craine said:
‘We have been grateful for the good attendance at the public meetings this month and are now looking for a high level of engagement with the consultation process.’
Mr Craine has prepared an FAQ sheet on the reforms and the options being considered.
What are the exam reforms all about?
GCSEs in England, which have been the main qualification for 16 year olds since 1988, are being reformed. Some changes have already taken place in that modular exams, introduced in 2009, have now been dropped. The main changes will involve the introduction of a new grading system, the removal of tiered papers and an end to coursework.
When will these changes happen?
The new GCSEs in England will be phased in with the first teaching beginning in September 2015 for examination in 2017. The new GCSEs in English language, English literature and maths will begin in 2015 and will affect pupils currently in Year 8 and below. Science, geography, history and modern languages will be added from 2016 and will affect pupils currently in Year 7 and below. Other subjects will follow in 2017 and will affect all pupils currently in Year 6 and below. It seems that some subjects may not continue to be offered as GCSEs, especially if they are not assessed predominantly by written examination (eg art). These could be accredited in a different way.
Are the GCSEs in Northern Ireland and Wales also being reformed?
Northern Ireland and Wales, which until now have shared the GCSE qualifications with England, have rejected the English reforms. Following consultations, both of these countries will continue to offer the existing GCSEs graded A*-G, with controlled assessment, tiered papers and modular entry. Some reforms will take place in Wales but Northern Ireland is committed to maintaining the current position for three years before a further review.
Can the Isle of Man carry on doing what we are doing now?
No. Most of our GCSE entries are currently with English exam boards and these qualifications will no longer exist in their present form. We could switch to the GCSEs in Northern Ireland or Wales but these are very small exam boards. Northern Ireland has indicated that it will retain its current GCSEs for three years and then review the situation, which could lead to further disruption.
What are the options for the Isle of Man?
The Department for Education and Children and the Island’s secondary schools want to find the best way forward for all of the Island’s young people. Three options have been identified.
- The new GCSEs being introduced in England – GCSE (England)
- The International GCSE – IGCSE
- The Scottish qualifications – National 4 and National 5
We believe that all three of these options have something to offer but that they each also bring challenges.
What will the new GCSE (England) offer?
It will involve:
- a new grading system from 9 (high) to 1 (low) in place of the existing A*-G grades
- assessment entirely by terminal, external exams in most GCSE subjects
- no coursework or controlled assessment in most GCSE subjects
- no tiered exam papers in most subjects so that pupils of all abilities will sit the same exams
- more demanding exams such that fewer students will be able to attain higher grades (at least initially).
What is the International GCSE?
The IGCSE:
- is an international version of the current GCSEs offered in more than 140 countries with more than 500,000 entries each year
- is provided by Cambridge University (through its exam board) and is politically independent
- is graded from A*-G and has parity with existing GCSEs
- is assessed mainly by external exams but also includes the opportunity to assess coursework in most subjects
- offers more than 70 subjects titles and has tiered exam papers in most subjects.
What does the Scottish education system offer?
The Scottish qualification system is being reformed with new 14-16 qualifications launched in September 2013. It offers two qualifications, National 4s and National 5s.
National 4s
- have a focus on learning
- are not designed for the full ability range
- are awarded simply as ‘pass’ or ‘fail’
- are teacher assessed with external moderation but no external assessment
- allow the teacher to use case studies, assignments, coursework and question papers.
National 5s
- are awarded in pass grades A-C
- include coursework but are assessed mainly through terminal examinations
- are aimed at pupils in Years 10 and 11 and can be studied alongside Scottish Highers.
A simultaneous consultation is also taking place through school and year group councils. There will be discussions involving groups of subject leaders from the secondary schools. Responsibility for the final decision rests with the Minister.
The DEC is committed to ensuring that teachers know which pathway the schools will follow before September 2014.
Paper copies of the consultation document can be requested from the Department of Education and Children’s office, Hamilton House, Peel Road, Douglas, and at the Tynwald Library, Legislative Buildings, Finch Road, Douglas.
