Manchester Grammar School expels the GCSE
- March 5, 2009
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Keywords:
- gcses
- grammar
- manchester
- school
- Comments (4)
Another top independent joins the ranks of schools adopting tougher tests
Manchester Grammar School has announced that it will abandon all GCSE courses, apart from art, in favour of the international GCSE (known as the iGCSE). Teachers at this leading school believe that GCSEs are no longer a true test of a pupil's ability, nor are they a good preparation for A-level.
This trend has been widely reported in Tom-Brown.com (Out with media studies; in with iGCSE), and illustrates how innovative UK independent schools are becoming. Indeed, the Government does not include the iGCSE in its statistics, so private schools are sacrificing league table places in order to offer a more challenging education.
Headmaster of the £9000 a-year school Christopher Ray says, "The view within is that GCSEs will present even less of a challenge to the more able candidates than at present. They may well provide a very good answer for very many boys and girls but not our boys." The school was established in 1515 and has a number of notable alumni, including actor Ben Kingsley and cricketer and commentator Mike Atherton.
Educational freedom
MGS's action follows the course of a number of high-profile schools, including Bedales, which recently introduced bespoke courses in place of most GCSEs. Indeed, the Independent Schools Council says the number of pupils taking iGCSEs in the fee-paying sector grew from 15,000 to 40,000 last year.
The introduction of the iGCSE and the new diplomas has led some educationalists to warn of the fragmentation of the system or that a form of 'educational apartheid' will develop.
Manchester Grammar School is a Tom-Brown.com featured school
Have your say
Do you think that this is a positive move or yet more complication in our curriculum?
Here here. I agree, GSCE's are becoming too easy. Parents pay for a better education to see better results for their children. Anything that pushes the boundaries and expands the mind has to be a good thing. League tables are only stats, the real marker is the end result in the childs rounded education.
jamesdando6 Fri Mar 06, 2009 at 11:03
As an employer I can only welcome this development of the iGCSE. Hopefully it will encourage a more back to basics approach. The young people I interview are so bright and enthusiastic, I know they're going to be a real asset. The problem is they're being let down by an educational system that fails to give them the bedrock of good English and maths skills that we need.
gail Tue Mar 10, 2009 at 11:03
I think it adds more complication to the already complicated system.
Why are they not good prep for A level?
janenolan Thu Apr 02, 2009 at 11:04
I suppose the headteacher is saying they're too easy. I remember teacher friends of mine saying, when GCSEs were introduced, how much easier they were than O-levels. I suppose it makes the leap even greater for kids.
gail Wed Apr 08, 2009 at 09:04