Is the EBacc going to do anything for the UK?

[Geek girl]

No really sure how this forum works.... Only signed up today just wondering what people (especially in the Uk) think of the education reforms. (sorry if this is already a topic )

[Sandwich]

I think that if it does have any impacts, they won't be hugely meaningful to anybody who intends to continue on to higher education. To my understanding the English Baccalaureate is basically just an attempt to do away with GCSEs - at the end of the day, your GCSEs don't mean a great deal. Universities select people on their A Level results. So, the EB would only really be relevant to people leaving school at 16, as it would be a significant qualification for them only. EB = a pretty pretentious name!

One positive of making exams harder at GCSE level is that I suppose the increased difficulty might inspire them to try and reach greater heights... or something! Personally I think it's a good thing to move on from GCSEs - or keep the same qualification and increase the level of what you're learning. When I did them they seemed very hard to me but actually a lot of it was gumpf - my brother did his three years after me and already there were massive changes. Also I felt like it was feasible to get perfect grades in my GCSEs which really isn't the case with any other qualification on the planet - your average person shouldn't be able to get straight A*s or As. In terms of the changes between when I did Physics and my brother, when I did it I learnt all these equations and it was basically all maths and equations (even if not necessarily that advanced). When my brother did Physics, I was helping him write an essay about his opinion of alternative energy sources. And yeah I know they're trying to make it relevant to more people, but at the end of the day that was only three years of difference and then BOOSH, the Physics is missing!

It will age us all to have GCSEs on our CVs If you include them still! The replacement of GCSEs is, however, the single policy this government has come up with where I find myself inclined to agree. For one, it makes sense. For two, they're not trying to dismantle and destroy the health service, cut disability benefits, bankrupt defenceless students or put hundreds of thousands of people out of work... so really what else could you want from a policy? I think that reforming GCSEs might be better than sticking a whole new EB thing in (as I said, pretentious much? Why do we want a french word in an english system?) but the whole system is supposedly so rotten at this point, that replacement may well be the best way to go.