红桃影视

Ministers have rejected calls by a House of Lords committee to reform GCSEs and secondary education, but they have revealed some new details of their thinking on the issue.

The Lords committee on education for 11-16 year olds wanted a raft of changes, including scrapping the English baccalaureate (EBacc).

In its response today, most of its recommendations, saying it has 鈥渘o plans for wholesale reform鈥� of GCSEs.

But it has set out some more details. Here’s what you need to know…

1. ‘Short course’ on reading for teachers

The committee had urged ministers to work out why about a third of pupils do not achieve a grade 4 or above in GCSE English and maths each year and to publish its findings. 

DfE disagreed that further work was needed to investigate the issue and they鈥檝e already 鈥渢aken action鈥� to raise standards. 

But they said they are developing a 鈥渟hort course on reading for all secondary teachers鈥�, likely to be released in September 2024.

This would support teachers with the implementation of the reading framework, published last year.

Asked for more detail, the DfE said the optional 40-minute online course would “upskill secondary school teachers, regardless of their subject specialism, on the basics of reading development and teaching”.

2. DfE 鈥榓nalysing鈥� language teacher supply

Government did accept the committee鈥檚 recommendation to explore 鈥渋nnovative ways鈥� to encourage schools to promote language learning and to address barriers like the 鈥渓imited supply of suitably qualified teachers鈥�. 

The DfE said it was 鈥渁nalysing鈥� the supply of languages teachers in England 鈥渢o better understand how and where we can support the sector in recruiting excellent language teachers鈥�.聽

Its digital service tracks who is applying for teaching language courses, whether they are successful or not and if not why not. The department said it uses this data to identify factors that make someone more likely to succeed as a languages applicant, to help it make targeted interventions.

For 2023-24, just 33 per cent of the required modern foreign languages teachers were recruited, government . 

3. ‘Barriers’ to digital skills

The committee urged government to explore introducing a 鈥渂asic digital literacy qualification鈥� at key stage 4.

This would 鈥渆nsure that all pupils have an opportunity to develop the basic digital skills needed to participate effectively in post-16 education and training, employment and wider life鈥�.

Ministers did not accept the recommendation, adding they are 鈥渘ot convinced that a digital literacy qualification would address any potential issues around the teaching of digital skills, particularly at KS4, as there would be limited incentive for schools to offer such a qualification鈥�. 

But there are 鈥渂arriers to teaching digital skills鈥� through the computing curriculum at GCSE, including available teaching time.

They reveal they are working with the computing education sector to 鈥渂etter understand what digital skills are taught through the computing curriculum at KS3鈥�. 

鈥淏ased on the barriers identified so far, our initial assessment is that such a qualification might be better suited outside of KS4. We will continue to work with schools and other experts on this important matter.鈥� 

The DfE told us they are working with experts to “understand the value of digital skills, what is needed and at what age they should be acquired for employment and further study”.

They are gathering “intelligence about how schools teach the digital literacy requirements of the computing curriculum 鈥� particularly at key stage 3 as this is where the majority of digital literacy content is taught.”

But they are not looking at a key stage 3 qualification, as that falls outside of the scope of current regulations.

4. Can鈥檛 commit to 鈥榣ong term鈥� move to onscreen tests

The committee wanted ministers to lead on the transition to on-screen assessments at GCSE. Several exam boards have already set out timescales for digital exams, but they do require sign off from exams regulator Ofqual.

However, government said it was still researching the evidence base for on-screen tests for pupils with Ofqual so it 鈥渃urrently cannot commit to moving to OSAs in the long term鈥�. 

鈥淲e agree that moving high-stakes qualifications onscreen has the potential to bring considerable opportunities and risks, and therefore it is vital that we ensure any transition to OSA is managed effectively and fairly.鈥�