TEACHERS and heads unions yesterday welcomed education secretary Gove’s abandonment of plans to scrap GCSEs in key subjects in England and replace them with English Baccalaureate Certificates.
He admitted to MPs his proposal was ‘a bridge too far’ and he would instead ‘reform GCSEs’.
Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg welcomed the ‘humiliating climbdown’ and called on Gove to apologise to parents for the ‘shambles’.
But instead of calling for his resignation Twigg offered an olive branch, saying: ‘Labour wants to work with the government to forge a long-term consensus on exam and curriculum reform. We would welcome cross-party talks.’
NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates welcomed his retreat in the face of the campaign by teachers unions but warned: ‘The English Baccalaureate Certificates were always a distraction.
‘The certificates may have gone but the English Baccalaureate remains as a measure in the performance league tables.
‘This will, therefore, continue to be used to narrow the curriculum, reducing opportunities for children and young people, and to force schools into being taken over by predatory private providers.
‘Whilst this government’s education policies remain in place, ruining the life chances for children and young people and robbing them of their rights and entitlements, there is little cause for celebration.’
Exam regulator Ofqual had written to Gove suggesting this should not go ahead at the same time as the other changes planned for GCSEs and A-levels.
Last week a report from the House of Commons Education Select Committee issued a ‘red light’ warning to the government, urging it to slow down and rethink its proposed changes to GCSEs and the exam system.
The cross-party report warned the proposed changes were being rushed and risked damaging the exam system.
Commenting on Gove’s climb down, National Union of Teachers general secretary Christine Blower said: ‘The English Baccalaureate Certificates were universally condemned by everyone from the teaching profession to bodies representing the arts, sport, business, technical and design groups and the education select committee.
‘This is a victory for all those who have campaigned against this ill-thought out reform to GCSEs.
‘The Education Secretary must now learn a lesson from this fiasco and consult with those who know far more than he appears to do about education.
‘We need an examination system that is robust and challenging but one which recognises talents and skills that go beyond a limited range of subjects.’
National Association of Head Teachers general secretary Russell Hobby said: ‘It has taken months of lobbying and hard work to get to this point.
‘There were many things wrong with the English Baccalaureate proposals: for example, the sidelining of arts and vocational subjects and the lack of coursework in the sciences.
‘Nevertheless, there are elements of GCSEs which could be improved and we await detail from the Secretary later today on his intentions for qualifications, accountability and curriculum reform.
‘Mr Gove has seen the warning light and slammed on the brakes just in time – we hope the measures he proposes instead of the Baccalaureate will be what’s right both for the education system and the future of the country.’
