GCSEs, A-levels and vocational qualifications should evolve over the next decade into a four-stage diploma according to the report by the former chief schools inspector, Mike Tomlinson.
The Tomlinson report reviewed the education system following criticism from British industries that school leavers lack basic English and maths skills.
The proposed diploma will have less coursework and fewer exams and offer new A+ and A++ for exceptional students.
The Conservatives are promising a return to a fixed quota of A-level students getting the top grade, if they were to succeed in the general election.
What do you think of the plans to replace GCSEs and A-levels? Do you prefer the promises of fixed quota results from the Tories? How should England's education system equip students with the skills they need and fairly judge them?
This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.
The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:
This will cost millions, why not ensure that the present system works effectively instead of just changing everything. Any more changes and I will not be educating my child in the UK!
Claire Macdonald, Glasgow, Scotland
Why not ditch the grades completely? Give each pupil their un adjusted percentage score and then separately publish what would be the boundaries from A to E. The top students in state schools are as much special needs as those with learning difficulties. They need the funding as well. Let top mathematicians, poets, artists and scientists be persuaded to come back to teaching by assuring them they will only have to teach classes the top in their field full of children that want to learn.
I am a very highly qualified mathematician and computer scientist from one of the top UK universities, but I would never consider a career in teaching because I do not wish to deal with children that have no interest in learning what I can pass on, were it different I would seriously consider it.
Simon Day, Oxford, UK
 |  "A" is the maximum mark that anyone should get |
A, A* A+, A++, A+++; where will it end. I thought we had got shot of hyper inflation in the 1970s! It is total nonsense. "A" is the maximum mark that anyone should get, unless marks are out of 100, in which case the maximum is 100. This is simple common sense. Have examiners and educationalists run out of this valuable commodity?
Andrew Taylor, Notts, UK My husband & I became parents 1 year ago. I consider the proposed changes to education reforms is good idea. My understanding that this means less exams & assignments. Too much pressure is put on pupils to become high achievers. Nerves can reflect in exam results, so if this new four-stage diploma does come into force I hope it will give a more accurate account of a pupils academic ability.
Sharon Green, Wirral, England
Diplomas? When you see sixth form students having labels printed out because they don't know how to write an address on an envelope, or where to put a stamp - I think we are in deep trouble. Back to basics at an early age please, and worry about diplomas later.
Ann, Hedge End UK
A fixed quota system seems very unfair, if students reach a set grade then they should get the award they deserve. You cannot say that an A is for 85%+ and then move the goal posts because too many students achieved more than 85% We should set the exams correctly not decide that only 10% should get an A, even if the marks are high or low. I wonder if the system has become the way it is because the students are getting good at passing tests, after all they get so much more practice nowadays.
Andrew Heydn, Essex UK
I've got a plan re-introduce the A-level papers I sat at school 20 years ago. Problem solved. The "gold standard" returns and what is more employers will understand it. Most employers don't have a clue about AS levels and all the rest of the constant changes. The main trouble is political. Ministers won't admit the exams are easier and therefore cannot do the obvious thing - reverse the recent damaging changes of recent years that have watered down the exams purely so minister can claim education standards are rising and shove more unsuitable people into a university degree course. Kids want to achieve. They want good marks and high levels of attainment, something to strive at even if they don't get there.
James Smith, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk My niece recently moved to the UK (from the US) and after 10 weeks of intensive study gained 5 A and A* on her GCSE's and is now taking 5 A levels (Maths, Chemistry, English, Spanish and Biology). She found the course work easy and the exams a walk in the park. The present system certainly needs to be revised otherwise we will have a nation full of illiterate adults.
Yoneet,
A++, A+++...? It is starting to sound like member feedback on Ebay.
Gavin, Cambridge, UK
At last Michael Howard has said something sensible! Lets get back to real GCSE's for O and A level and bring back CSE's with a vocational content like starting and running a business and how to deal with tax and VAT. The current GCSE and AS levels are a shambles, no wonder hard pressed families are paying for private education to achieve old fashioned yet respected O and A levels rather than the politically correct current mess.
Stephen Perriman, Somerton, England I don't know what it is about education, but it just seems that those in charge of policy can't help meddling! How about a period with no 'initiatives' for a while!
Bill, UK
There is little wrong with out academic education system (apart from they hand out A grades just for turning up), apparently we have some of the best educated children in Europe. But exams need to be made more difficult or the marking structure modified to ensure the very top students are justly rewarded. We also need to develop a structure to address the less academic amongst us and create vocational qualifications for years 8/9 onwards.
Alan Cadwallader, Reading, Berks
I have never understood what was wrong with O and A-levels. I have compared the papers I sat in 1984 and 1986 with those my youngest brother sat recently. Sorry, but the modern papers are a walk in the park by comparison. I had done simultaneous equations, trigonometry and so on for Common Entrance at age 13 - and they don't appear until maths A-level now!
Bill, Bristol
I think this is an amazing idea. I am currently studying A-level and I really hate the amount of coursework piled on students. It is hard to see other people crying because of the pressure put on them under the current system. The new system of less coursework and fewer exams would I believe benefit many. In this new system I would hope to see more room made for less able students to learn valuable skills they would need in later in life. However this idea has been floating around for years and will it honestly happen or is it more election spin?
Pippa Cronin, Minehead, UK
Let's tackle the over-inflation of higher education before dismantling the post-16 system. Right now we're sending too many people to too many universities on too few meaningful courses.
Pete Fenelon, York, UK
Two things are needed for education in this country: First the scrapping of league tables, which have been proven time and again that pressure from heads make teachers make the exams easier to fiddle a higher pass rate for the school. Second is to remove all political influence from education. Yes there should be a basic level of quality but not at the expense of young people lives where they spend their time for the same qualifications that everyone else has got.
Phill C, Sheffield, UK
It doesn't matter what you call them, until something really changes in British education I for one will not be bringing my daughter to the UK for her schooling. My husband and I have made a conscious decision to live outside of the UK so that our children can have a decent education for our taxes, not the drivel we were both churned out with.
Jennifer, Netherlands, ex UK
| This whole reform sounds like its just there to make the students feel better about themselves |
The introduction of A+, A++ is just avoiding the issue, in a few years it will then just need A+++. Grades are an indication as to how you compare to other students. In my opinion, getting an A grade does not mean you know X/Y/Z with the associated subject but it means you got the top grade and are on of the best students. This whole reform sounds like its just there to make the students feel better about themselves and reduce the chances of getting a low grade. If people are in the bottom they should be told so. To often are students being shielded from the real world at school. People fail in the real world and so students should be prepared for it.
Rob, Chandlers Ford - Hampshire The introduction of A+, A++ is just avoiding the issue, in a few years it will then just need A+++....etc. Grades are an indication as to how you compare to other students. In my opinion, getting an A grade does not mean you know X/Y/Z with the associated subject but it means you got the top grade and are on of the best students. This whole reform sounds like its just there to make the students feel better about them selves and reduce the chances of getting a low grade. If people are in the bottom they should be told so. To often are students being shielded from the real world at school. People fail in the real world and so students should be prepared for it.
Rob, Chandlers Ford - Hampshire
| In order to progress you need to pass each year - otherwise you must re-sit the year |
One of the key elements of many European systems that doesn't seem to have been discussed is that in order to progress you need to pass each year - otherwise you must re-sit the year. This may seem harsh, but if you haven't learnt to read by, say, age 8, then what is the point to moving on to a level that assumes you had? You will become frustrated, slip further behind, and be generally disruptive. I think there are more fundamental problems with our system than the names of the qualifications we get.
Grant, London, UK There is too much confusion already for employers, with the many different qualifications given. Let's go back to the original 'O' and 'A' level system which worked so well.
David, Cheshire
Every time the results come out, we're told record numbers of pupils have passed the existing GCSEs in Maths and English. Call me old-fashioned, but how do they manage that without being able to add up or spell? Then again, in a system where 45% is good enough for an A grade (and even 16% is apparently a "pass" now), it's hardly surprising!
CN, UK
Oh God, not another shake-up! I have always thought memory tests were a lousy way of assessing ability, but can't we just for once have a clear strategy, a roadmap, and a process of planned gradual change?
Guy Chapman, Reading, UK
| The exam is taken all around the world and only 1% of students worldwide gain the full marks |
Currently I am in year 13 doing the International Baccalaureate. This is a system where you have to do 6 subjects including English, Maths and a Science. So everyone has all the basic skills. The exams are harder and included is a 4000 word essay which needs to be university level. Everyone should change to this because getting a high grade actually means something. The exam is taken all around the world and only 1% of students worldwide gain the full marks - 45 points out of 45. Why doesn't the government change to this? It is already used in the UK and it has already been proven to work.
Leah, Kent, UK There is little wrong with out academic education system (apart from they hand out "A" grades just for turning up), apparently we have some of the best educated children in Europe. But exams need to be made more difficult or the marking structure modified to ensure the very top students are justly rewarded. We also need to develop a structure to address the less academic amongst us and create vocational qualifications for years 8 / 9 onwards.
Alan Cadwallader, Reading, Berks
I never did GCSEs, nor did I do A-levels. I did the International Baccalaureate where I studied English, French, Theatre, Maths, Biology and Psychology and ended up in St Andrews University where I went on to study Social Anthropology. The broad base of subjects has meant that I now have a variety of skills. This is something that my A-level equivalent friends always seem to fall down on. I say give kids the ability to choose what they want to do once they get to university and not at 16 after GCSEs. And maybe then you'll see them challenged a bit more.
Nathalie Turpin, Dubai, UAE
| I don't understand why there is a necessity to completely re-invent the wheel |
The idea of students studying a broader spectrum of subjects at A level is a good one. It is ridiculous to have the whole of your life affected by decisions that you are forced to make at 16. However I don't understand why there is a necessity to completely re-invent the wheel: if the internationally recognised baccalaureate does two-thirds of the job, why not introduce that and then add the extras such as community participation and vocational qualifications?
Fiona, Surrey, UK I feel that the main change in the education system should be to separate non-academic pupils and offer trade-based education. Rather than trying to be "politically correct" and treat everyone the same, diversity in ability has to be recognised and embraced. Let Students either study academic subjects OR combine trade based education with key skills. Pupils that are not academic find themselves wasting three years education and possibly spoiling classes for others. We should be celebrating that some are good with their hands others good with their brain. Keep the current exam system, recognise pupil diversity.
Nadina, UK
You can have the best exams in the world, but if kids don't want to learn they're not going to. It's about parents and culture, something the Government can't really do anything about, so they're trying to find the quick fix to win popularity.
Ben, London
Having just completed my A-levels this year and now entering into higher education, I can say that A-levels were not challenging enough. Teachers are under too much pressure to improve pass rates and attain higher grades that often pupils are spoon fed. This does not equip students to University life where the emphasis is on self-motivated learning. The conservative system and the new proposed diploma will not alter the problem. The way forward is to introduce compulsory research projects and basic skills, such as computing, presentations and essay writing, alongside the current systems.
Tim Badcock, Nottingham, UK
To replace GCSEs and A levels will be the final nail in the UK's failing education system. Another step towards mediocrity instead of excellence and achievement. At least with GCSEs and A levels employers have clear bench marks in which to measure academic achievement however much their value has been diminished.
Tim, Bradford West Yorkshire I have long thought that the introduction of the GCSE was a mistake. I was one of the "guinea pigs" in 1988 and was fortunate to sit 3 O levels the previous year. The O levels were far more academically rigorous - e.g. in languages, you actually had to know how grammar. I suffered badly from studying GCSE German (in fact, it cost me a degree in that particular subject) simply because the GCSE did not require a thorough understanding of German grammar. Successive governments should stop tampering with the education system - it should not be treated as a political tool - it is far too important.
Paul, London, UK
Yet more work for teachers then as now even more emphasis will be placed on their assessment. No doubt this will involve reams of new paperwork - how are teachers supposed to teach when so much of their time is taken up with so much bureaucracy? The smart kids will of course simply copy their coursework from the internet and get good grades. At least exams test what is in their heads.
David Priddy, Slough, UK
I retired from teaching 15 yrs ago and have returned because of the desperate shortage of science teachers. I notice that the main problem is not the system but the value that students place on their education. Most have little understanding of the value of an education.
Jeffrey Matthews, Doncaster, England
This isn't difficult. One national exam per subject, the top 10% get an A, the next 90 - 70% get a B etc and the bottom 10% get F. The number of pupils getting a grade can vary, but the percentage never should
Paul, Derbyshire
Marvellous! To recap, in the past 15 years we have had: GCSES, the national curriculum, performance-related pay, the introduction of the A* grade, league tables, testing that starts at primary school, reform of A levels, and now this... no wonder private schools are more popular than ever.
Marcus, London
As a parent I am glad there is to be less coursework - I found my daughter's quite hard enough. Luckily my son is doing physics at which I am quite good.
Roger Jackson, Stockport, Cheshire
Great - but guess who will have to do all the work? Teachers. One-size-fits all GCSEs and downgraded AS/A2s work but only approximately. If diploma has greater differentiation and the government pays for the extra work then great. The fundamental problem is that A2 is 1/10th as difficult as A level twenty years ago, so BSC now four years instead of three etc and drop out rates and associated costs are high. The diplomas will have to be implemented properly. Don't expect teachers to do yearly re-writes of schemes of work (I am currently into my 7th set of syllabi in 10 years of teaching.)
Matthew Knott, Gosport UK Are exams necessary at all? There is a definite element of initiation by ordeal with everything depending on the "big day" and mounting stress and anxiety in a fraught backstage-type atmosphere. One is in purdah for weeks beforehand and can be drained for weeks afterwards! They do not test ability to stick at a hard task or character and real creative down-to-earth thinking. Ongoing assessment and assignments (which the exam casualties may actually accumulate good marks in) would be more to the point. As for English and maths, I learned more numeracy skill keeping house on a tight budget than I ever did struggling with exam preparations! The more job-orientated they can make secondary education at the 14+ stage the better.
Katherine Watso, Stockport, UK
| Exams are a part of life and a clear measure of a person's future |
We are not doing anyone any favours by making it easier. Life is all about learning, exams are a part of life and a clear measure of a person's future. I know I wasn't capable of being a physicist but was capable of something else (and very successful too!). Please let's get back to basics and stop setting up future generations to fail.
Jan, UK The Tory proposals are along the right lines ( I never thought I'd ever say that ), only a fixed percentage of pupils should be able to attain an 'A' grade. However, you don't achieve this through the use of quotas, which are unfair, but by simply making the exams harder. What is so difficult about that?
Andrew Marshall, Cambridge, UK
Why all this drama about education when there is a secondary education "International Baccalaureate" designed and waiting to be used! Imagine having an education system that would allow students in the UK to slot into education in USA, Hong Kong and anywhere else they choose to live around the world and more to the point, introduce a range of subjects more suited to individual needs. Introducing such a system will open doors for a wider exposure for Acc
Tim Rollinson, Tonbridge, UK
A++? let me guess, the lowest grade will be A--? stop pandering to inclusiveness, every one is unique, not identical drones. Anyway shouldn't we actually be furthering these young people's knowledge, not benchmarking them for employability?
Simon, Reading
We used to have an educational system that was the envy of the world. Today we have children leaving school with 'A' levels who are barely literate. What went wrong? Clearly we need to go back to educating children properly and stop rewarding them with certificates that have not been earned. Whether we call their qualification a GCE, a Baccalaureate or some new-fangled title is irrelevant if the real educational level remains low.
Adrian Gilbert, Tonbridge, England I'd like to see a single grading structure, throughout education, in any given subject. E.g. grades one to five could be equivalent to GCSE, six to ten could be A-level and so on up to maybe twenty for PhD and beyond. People could have the opportunity to take exams and increment their grades throughout their career. This would encourage life-long learning.
Kelly Mouser, Upminster, Essex
This a typical quick fix that fails to recognize that the underlying problem is a poor curriculum. Let's get the fundamentals right and move away from this Labour government fixation with interference, measurement and targets.
Graham Shelton, Oxford, England
Too much change sponsored by government agendas. Time for some independence in education, which will free teachers from entirely unreasonable demands on their time and repeated training and re-training. Moving to something like the international baccalaureate looks attractive in these international, European days. Then we really would be able to objectively judge the achievements of our children against their peers.
Prof. C J Moore, Manchester, England They should keep the existing systems for those students who want to continue into higher education but make the vocational qualifications more prominent for those students wanting a more practical approach!
Tracey, Durham, UK
The name of the qualification is of no importance what so ever. Let's keep the names (GCSE, A-Level et al), but make the content relevant to 21st century Britain and the results actually mean something.
Paul, London
Surely what we need is a scheme that differentiates between pupils, not one that gives them all the same qualifications?
Andy Davies, Glos, UK
Why do we think it's great to pick kids at 7 or 8 to train as footballers, but we don't accept that we need to do the same with intelligence? By all means have great schools for all, but the brightest need to be challenged and pushed in a competitive environment. In addition, let's not make education only about jobs and the economy. Education is a good in itself. All children should be taught the joys of literature, languages, proper history and a solid background in the sciences.
Tim, London
All major blue-chip employers and university professors agree on one very important point - exams are getting easier, and people leave school with a inferior education to previous years. This must be dealt with.
Tom K, London
| There should be no connection between government and exams so they can't be manipulated for political ends |
They should just pick a system and stick with it. I certainly think GCSEs have become easier though. When I arrived at university, the lecturers were shocked at the limits of our education. For 30 or 40 years people did the same exams and we turned out well qualified world leaders. Now the exams change with every new government. There should be no real connection between government and examinations so they can't be manipulated for political ends.
Mike, Leeds My best friend is German and my girlfriend French - their baccalaureate diploma-based educations sound far more interesting and clearly structured than the GCSE/A-level mix'n'match mess I had to endure.
Mark Henderson, Banstead, UK
As an employer, I think there is an urgent need to return to the O-level and A-level system. These should be exam based and not include a coursework element. Exams are meant to be hard - that's reality. There are too many graduates and most of them lack basic skills - a good proportion can't even talk properly, preferring to speak in a "patois" street style. This is useless to any employer.
Gavin, Manchester, UK
| All teachers ever seem to do now is teach kids to pass exams |
Seems to me that the new proposals are a good idea. All teachers ever seem to do now is teach kids to pass exams. By reducing the emphasis on externally marked exams as being the only indicators of performance you might find that teachers actually have the chance to teach the kids something more than the 'correct' answers to last years exam questions. However, I'd like to see how the markers will make sure kids don't just copy large sections of their proposed 4000 word individual reports from the internet.
David, Nottingham, UK Do not scrap GCSE & A levels. They are necessary to distinguish exceptional students from the norm. If students are not achieving basic English & Maths skills, they should look more at the Junior/Primary Education.
Mcs, Welling
As the system has been messed about with so many times over the last few years and there is no longer any meaning to any qualifications gained then yes, they should be scrapped, but instead replaced with a certificate of attendance at school. That at least means something. The 'qualifications' given out these days are so meaningless that they are not worth the paper they're written on. It's a shame as it's not the fault of the kids or the teachers. The government just want their reports to be completed and this is more important than educating anyone. They just change the system to increase the average, but surely the average is just that, an average with some better and some worse.
Robert, England
| We can't use the next generation as guinea pigs in a social experiment |
There is no such thing as one size fits all education, so I think it is great to address this and provide for different needs and capabilities BUT we can't use the next generation as guinea pigs in a social experiment which I think in many ways is only designed to win votes in the short term and the long term impact of which has not been thought through.
Jill, UK I was under the impression that it was going to be more coursework and less exams, not less of both. Let's at least find out more about these proposals before portraying them as a complete waste of time. People have complained for years about GCSEs becoming meaningless, so perhaps an overhaul of the system is the right way forward.
Tony, Berkshire
This strikes me as just another attempt to come up with a mechanism to disguise the fact that standards of education have collapsed over the past 20 years or so. Constant government interference, the loss of that public sector ethos by many but not all teachers, liberal attitudes to discipline, poor parenting and a range of other influences have conspired to produce a generation of students that have very poor basic skills and even less understanding.
Dick, Scotland
| Why move over to a French system when a good model already exists in Scotland? |
Since the English "O Level" and "A Level" system has been abused why move over to a French system when a good model already exists in Scotland? Alternatively, why not simply adopt yet another American system and opt for "credits" for each subject, with a certain number of "passed" credits being required to graduate from "high school" (secondary school)? Heaven forbid, but it might it not also be worth checking out what goes on in our former Commonwealth countries e.g. Canada & Australia?
Jock, London, England Education systems are being re-vamped and tweaked far too often. It must be difficult for schools, employers and students to adapt. Why not introduce a review every 10 years so that at least there is a modicum of consistency throughout a students education? How long before someone has another bright idea and wants to change back to O levels?
Richard Mitchell, Chelmsford, Essex, UK
| An individual's grades should not in any way be influenced by the performance of others in the same year |
I don't think much of these ideas. Is getting rid of A-levels and GCSEs and replacing them with something else doing any more than simply changing the name of the exam? Fixed quotas for top grades are a really bad idea, too, because they are so fundamentally unfair, especially if the quota is a number per school (where year to year differences will be more apparent than in a national quota). An individual's grades should not in any way be influenced by the performance of others in the same year, otherwise a good student can get a poor grade in a good year, and vice versa.
Simon, Manchester, UK The point of exams is to focus learning on the one hand and to provide measures of achievement on the other. Such measures are only useful if they enable everyone, teacher, pupil, university or employer to see what a people are good at, what they enjoy, and how they compare to their peer group. It is apparent that an exam system where hardly anyone fails and many get the top undifferentiated grade fails in the task of drawing distinctions. Most people will fall into the middle range of performance and most energy in the system needs to go to ensure that this cohort is well served and has a full range of tests and examinations to show their abilities. But if the process doesn't produce enough information to show the extremes of the distribution clearly, then it is useless.
David, London
| Bring back the old-style A-Level and make it more difficult to get into universities |
As a current Year 13 student, I personally think that the current modular AS/A2 system is a joke. Bring back the old-style A-Level and make it more difficult to get into universities. There was once a time when graduates could form sentences ... not any more.
RJ, Leics, UK A diploma with less exams and less coursework? Next thing we know, a diploma will be awarded for turning up and breathing in unison!
Joseph, UK
Do everything possible to reinstate the A-Level as the gold standard: keep the General Certificate general, but make the A-Level the achievement that it was in decades past. Employers still look at A-Levels as the yardstick to filter candidates on - degrees are too specialised to be readily comparable.
JS, London UK
| It's bad enough with yearly grade inflation devaluing the qualifications |
Changing the qualifications will only add to more employer confusion over how much they are worth - it's bad enough with yearly grade inflation devaluing the qualifications. Why can they not just fix the existing system instead of reinventing it using yet another non tried and tested formula? Critics will fail this one too.
Ben Brown, Manchester Whatever system is used it has to encourage excellence amongst our brightest children. The recent lack of differentiation between children in the name of egalitarianism does not equip our country to compete in the modern world.
RJA, Farnborough, UK
Surely the exams are meant as a process of differentiation for potential employers and/or Universities? The concept of A, A+ and A++ grades is utterly ridiculous, when they should in reality be C, B and A. An A grade should be an exceptional result, and a clear indication of an exceptional student, without the need for further elaboration. The Tory 'fixed quota' seems to be the only rational proposal in the pack at the moment. I give them an A, or should it be A+, A++, A*3?
Carl, UK
| I can't help wondering if this is another case of making life easier for the people administering the system |
I would be interested to hear what potential employers and higher education establishments make of this idea. So far, I have heard teachers and pupils being interviewed and saying it is good from their perspective. Given the current trend towards making public services convenient for the providers instead of the users, I can't help wondering if this is another case of making life easier for the people administering the system.
David Hazel, Fareham, UK Should they be scrapped - students and teachers will vote Yes, employers will vote No. I'm sorry if the academic world doesn't like exams but they are, and will remain, the only way of knowing the ability of pupils and teachers. Any program which encourages reliance on coursework will only bring a lower achieving individual from their academic experience.
James, Buckingham, UK
I think the idea of a Diploma is good BUT I'm suspicious of the motives behind it. I know several teachers and they claim the government wants to drastically reduce their numbers to one teacher for the whole of Infants and one for Juniors, with classroom assistants providing the actual hands-on teaching under their guidance. Apparently it's to reduce costs. If this is true then the Diploma issue is the least of our worries! - and it's unlikely to succeed anyway without the proper teaching staff in place.
Cath Davis, Leigh, UK
| Why is it that the liberal elite seem to think that everyone is entitled to an A grade? |
A+ and A++ ! What's wrong with A, B, C, D, E & (F)ail? Our once envied and coped education system has become a joke. Why is it that the liberal elite seem to think that everyone is entitled to an A grade?
Kris, Edinburgh The picture that heads up this 'have your say' says it all. In the past 10-15 years 90% of photos showing exam 'success' have been predominantly of girls/women. It doesn't matter what name the new courses are given, the inequality of male/female exam results will continue. You either judge excellence or you judge mediocrity, you either have politically engineered advantage or you let nature take its course...
Martina, London
More social engineering. All this does is give everyone a diploma.
Jon, UK
| Some touchy-feely diploma with B grades called A+ |
This is a pointless exercise. The problem today is not what the exams are called or that they are too "academic" (as if!), it's that the students can't read, write or add small numbers at the end of them. Ten years to change the name to some touchy-feely diploma with B grades called A+ and C renamed A is ten years of wasted youth.
Thomas, Bangor, Co. Down Less coursework AND fewer exams? Could this be a method of increasing success by lowering expectations?
Andy Bird, Cheshire, UK
How much longer before we need an A+++++++++ grade? Just make the exam's harder, the pass marks higher & you won't need special grades to distinguish bright pupils. The average grade should be a C or a D, not an A.
Peter, Nottingham, UK
| Seems to me like the DofE is justifying their existence with these new reforms |
My Mum did the first O levels in the early '50s. I did the last O levels in the late '80s. Amazing that the system worked for 40 odd years without someone tinkering with it. Since then there has been change after change. Seems to me like the DofE is justifying their existence with these new reforms. Why not just split the kids at 15 into 'academic' and 'non academic' groups - the former can then go onto a free university education, and the latter can start free apprenticeships into a trade. Both groups would be valued by society as we would have the right balance of plumbers, electricians etc together with doctors, dentists and lecturers, instead of this mad situation where everyone goes to University which will lead to everyone needing a degree to get even a basic job.
Jo, UK
Please, please, everyone read Jo, UK's comments. At last someone talking sense! I bet half of the kids 'given' decent grades would rather not be at school at all, having learnt to read and write decently, and would rather be training for a decent hands-on career... There is nothing offensive about being labelled 'non-academic'. Well done Jo!
Tim, London
New A+ and A++ grades eh? How long will it be before the namby pamby social engineering brigade insists that everybody gets A++, so that no-one is made to feel excluded?
Paul B, Oxford, UK
We are trying to teach our kids too much about too many things. We need to teach them to read and write first! Then teach them a trade or skill set that will be useful to them.
Paul Sealey, Cannock, England
| You won't be doing any students any favours when it comes to the real world |
Fewer coursework and less exams? So pray tell, how will we test each students capabilities? I've recently gone back to college after working for 8 years (post-uni) and am quite glad of the random tests that my lecturers give me. Don't dumb down the system anymore than it is reputed to be! You won't be doing any students any favours when it comes to the real world....
Simone, UK
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