There have already been a number of criticisms made about the Michael Gove’s proposals to drop GCSE exams in favour of a new English Baccalaurate Certificate, or EBacc for short; but what has been said, and by who? Here is our list of those against the EBacc.
1. Shadow Secretary for Education, Labour’s Stephen Twigg
Stephen Twigg stated, “Labour supports rigorous exams but only if they don’t act as a cap on aspiration”, and suggested the Conservatives would attempt to introduce a two tier system at a later date.
2. Northern Ireland Education Minister, John O’Dowd
Described the current GCSE exams as “fit for purpose” and a “proven recognition of work, of the ability of the individual, and the ability of that individual to learn for each subject.” He also criticised Gove, saying, “(his) comments today and his policy since he came into office may well have fatally flawed the GCSE brand. I don’t want to see our young people feeling that they are sitting a lesser exam.”
3. Welsh Education Minister, Leighton Andrews
Said the introduction of the EBacc was a “backwards step.”
4. The British Dyslexia Association
Kate Saunders, chief executive of the assosiation said, ”These plans, should they be implemented, will create an additional barrier for dyslexic students to continue on to higher education.
5. The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Woman Teachers
The general secretary of the NASUWT, Chris Keates, has condemned the plans as “entirely driven by political ideology, rather than genuine debate.”
6. Former Education Secretary in Margaret Thatcher’s Cabinet, Lord Kenneth Baker
Lord Baker has criticised Gove’s proposals for not being radical enough, suggesting an exam at 14 to decide a students future path.
