22 September 2023 , 07:34
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Rishi Sunak is looking at scrapping A-level exams for a new style of qualification in a huge shake-up of the education system.
But there are concerns the plans could inflict more chaos on a generation of children already hit by the disruption of Covid, strikes and crumbling RAAC concrete.
The Prime Minister is considering introducing a new style of British Baccalaureate in which pupils would study more subjects after the age of 16. The reforms would see English and Maths become compulsory until the age of 18, while pupils would be required to study a wider array of subjects in post-16 education, according to several papers, including The Times and The Telegraph.
Mr Sunak has previously pledged that all pupils in England should study some form of maths up to the age of 18, criticising a "cultural sense that it's OK to be bad at maths". But Mr Sunak is reportedly facing pushback from senior officials in Whitehall who say schools don't need further changes after a time of severe disruption to education in recent years.
It is unlikely the PM would be able to get the plans into action before the next election but they are seen as another attempt from Mr Sunak to open up a clear dividing line with Labour. It comes after he weakened net zero targets this week, another move setting the Tories apart from Keir Starmer's party.
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Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson called the plans an "undeliverable gimmick". "This is just the latest undeliverable gimmick from a weak Prime Minister and a dying Conservative government with no serious plan for improving standards of education for young people," she told BBC's Newsnight.
" Rishi Sunak should be focusing on long term plans to improve literacy and numeracy in younger children, not pursuing short term headlines with this unworkable policy, which will do nothing to raise standards. Labour will be focusing on how we lay strong foundations for high and rising standards in our schools and deliver a major review of curriculum and assessment from government, as part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity."
A study by the UCL Institute of Education shows that studying subjects included in the English Baccalaureate provides students with greater opportunities in further education and increases the likelihood that a pupil will stay on in full-time education. Sutton Trust research reveals that studying the EBacc can help improve a young person’s performance in English and maths.
A Department for Education spokesperson said in a statement: "Since 2010 we have made huge progress in driving up school standards and giving young people the best start in life, with record funding for schools and more full-time teachers than ever before.
"We have already taken steps to reform the post-16 qualifications landscape, including reforming technical education and delivering millions of new high-quality apprenticeships. Alongside this, we have set out bold plans to ensure that every young person studies some form of maths up to the age of 18 to give them the skills they need to succeed in the jobs of the future".
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