Are they turning GCSEs to O-levels?!?

Question

Can someone please explain to me this idea of turning gcses to o-levels? And why?
are there any advantages and disadvantages to it too???
Thanks!

Answer 1

I took 'O' levels getting the highest number of passes in my year at Grammar School. I started at Grammar School in 1958 and in1961 we stared our G.C.E. courses, two years of very hard work but very rewarding. The previous three years were the 'grounding' years. My attitude was that there were very clever men at school to give me as much knowledge as they could and when it came to exam time I was not asked anything that I had not been taught. Naturally there are those who don't realise that school is for their benefit to give them a good groundwork in later life and many just messed around and then tried to 'cram' as much as they could a few days before the exam. Few of them achieved many passes. I did no 'cramming', I went out playing football with friends on the assumption that after 5 years learning then I should know my subjects, and when I saw the papers just answered the questions. We had to answer 4 or 5 questions out of a choice of 9. My advice is not to fear them but listen at school, ask questions if you don't understand and remember that you have a lifetime to do other things when school has finished. My 'O' level passes gave me the knowledge to get a University Degree and a Professional Diploma. My career was working in a bank where I became a Bank Manager and because of my qualifications taught at college in the evenings. Those are the advantages. The disadvantages are that almost immediately people have started to criticise the exams before they know anything about them and fear spreads and distorts the truth. If I were you I would try to get hold of some past papers from the G.C.E. exams but remember that some were harder than others. Mine were stiff having been set by The Joint Matriculation Board of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds Universities. In those days there were Secondary Modern Schools for those who did not meet Grammar School standards and they took a weaker paper or C.S.E (Certificate of Secondary Education) or U.L.C.I exams (Union of Lancashire and Cheshire Institutes.). There were similar exams all over the country but as I lived in Manchester those were the ones I took. Best luck with whatever exams you end up taking and remember, listen and learn.

Answer 2

When a maths GCSE question is "write the number 1107 in words" , there just has to be something amiss in the system.



O-levels tended to be "give the the answer, showing your working"

GCSE are "here is the question: is the answer A, B, C or D ? " multiple guess formats



And where is the incentive for schools to bring a C/B grade up to a B/A grade? They get no extra recognition. Their only benchmark is getting a D up to a C, and that's where schools exert their efforts to the exclusion of all else.. It's failing so many bright kids, it's untrue.

Answer 3

I hope it wont happen. I have just finished my GCSEs and they are discussing whether to change them as you said, but the people who have GCSE's will have 'second class' qualifications to others that are taking the new equivalent to GCSE's, if that makes sense.

I very hope and doubt that will happen, as i for one worked very hard for my GCSE's, so the out of touch with society codger suggesting this new system because "they are too easy" and "kids don't work hard enough" should do my GCSEs for me!

This would also apply for A-levels and some uni courses as well, what a joke!

Answer 4

pondering she did so properly, she have no undertaking with the GCSEs she has. as quickly as A stages are finished, GCSEs will almost in no way be regarded at returned. a B in maths could positioned her at no disadvantage.

Answer 5

Pay it no mind, it's a typically backwards suggestion from an out-of-touch Prime Minister who seeks to discriminate against the youth of this country.

Reintroducing O Levels would simply widen the gap between students, instead of making a coherent attempt to help the less intelligent.



I doubt it will happen, because I think most people realise that Cameron is a lost cause. He's too corrupt, too conservative, too elitist.