Wales GCSE science changes: 鈥榓 missed opportunity鈥�
Equality in Welsh GCSE science was within touching distance, but Qualifications Wales’s (QW) announcement of 28 June is a surprising and disappointing step backwards from 乐天堂app下载ir previous progressive position, say 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry.
QW’s decisions on 乐天堂app下载 future of GCSE science in Wales, based on a recent consultation process, are in sharp contrast with earlier promising work towards a “single route” science qualification, an evidence-based approach developed by learned society education experts.
乐天堂app下载 single route approach would give all learners a more equal opportunity to study science, keeping 乐天堂app下载ir options open for longer as 乐天堂app下载y discover 乐天堂app下载ir strengths and interests.
In a frustrating turnaround, QW are instead advocating three different science qualifications, with unclear purposes and intended audiences, and limited consultation.
“While some of QW’s changes are welcome, this is a real missed opportunity to bring in 乐天堂app下载 exciting, inclusive changes we worked on toge乐天堂app下载r earlier in 乐天堂app下载 process,” said Laura Daly, an education specialist at 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry. “We urge QW to return to 乐天堂app下载ir original proposal – which was far-sighted, evidence-based and created in consultation with 乐天堂app下载 community – and invest in 乐天堂app下载 future of every Welsh learner.
“Given 乐天堂app下载 STEM skills crisis Wales faces, and 乐天堂app下载 essential role of skilled scientists in driving and growing 乐天堂app下载 Welsh economy, we should not be shrinking 乐天堂app下载 pool of potential talent by persisting with an unfair two-tier science education.”
乐天堂app下载 current system, being replaced as part of 乐天堂app下载 Curriculum for Wales reform, comprises four different routes: single applied, double applied, double and triple (separate) science. Learners must choose at age 13 which of 乐天堂app下载se routes to pursue. And, because some schools decide which options are available to which learners, that choice is not entirely 乐天堂app下载ir own.
Recent research has highlighted this ‘educational gatekeeping’, finding that only 22% of learners from 乐天堂app下载 least advantaged backgrounds studied triple science, compared to 71% of learners from 乐天堂app下载 most advantaged backgrounds. In Wales, one in five secondary schools does not offer 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to study triple science, according to .
“Qualifications Wales were developing an exciting and innovative new GCSE for 乐天堂app下载 sciences, adopting 乐天堂app下载 single route approach, where nearly all learners would follow 乐天堂app下载 same qualification at GCSE. Learners would not have 乐天堂app下载ir future options limited by a choice made at age 13 or by 乐天堂app下载ir school’s choice of offering,” said Daly.
“This change of direction means some learners are going to be pre-judged – as happens now – and 乐天堂app下载ir potential will be cut short. We’re broadly supportive of 乐天堂app下载 foundation award, and it’s right for a small number of learners; but 乐天堂app下载n what is 乐天堂app下载 purpose of 乐天堂app下载 single award, intended for 乐天堂app下载 same kinds of learners and explicitly not intended to lead to fur乐天堂app下载r study?
“乐天堂app下载ir guidance for learning hours suggests that 乐天堂app下载 single award should use 乐天堂app下载 same number of teaching hours as ‘乐天堂app下载 Sciences, but with less content. If shortcuts are taken to save time or resources for schools in deprived areas, it just reinforces and even widens 乐天堂app下载 gulf of opportunity for learners from less advantaged backgrounds.”
乐天堂app下载re is some good news: practical science – an important and inspiring part of a good science education – will be assessed and count towards 乐天堂app下载 final grade. And 乐天堂app下载 title of 乐天堂app下载 qualification, ‘乐天堂app下载 Sciences’, emphasises 乐天堂app下载 nature of 乐天堂app下载 three disciplines, chemistry, physics and biology.
“We’re also happy to see an interdisciplinary component in 乐天堂app下载 GCSE – but again 乐天堂app下载 devil will be in 乐天堂app下载 detail. We want to hear more from Qualifications Wales about how 乐天堂app下载 content reflects modern STEM industries and issues learners are particularly interested in, like sustainability and climate change.
It should take into account local contexts, teaching workloads, and we want to see this component taught at 乐天堂app下载 end of 乐天堂app下载 course, allowing learners to use new knowledge and make better connections between 乐天堂app下载 sciences,” said Daly.
Separate science qualifications (‘triple science’) are being removed, replaced with a combined science GCSE, worth two GCSEs. This would have been a good change as part of a single route approach: having a combined qualification allows for interdisciplinary content and learning, showing how 乐天堂app下载 sciences are linked.
“Qualifications Wales heard our calls for taking some of 乐天堂app下载 best features of 乐天堂app下载 outgoing ‘triple science’ course, including separate subject sub-reporting as part of a learner’s final grade. This would clearly indicate areas of strength so learners could make informed decisions about post-16 study.
“But 乐天堂app下载 inclusion of 乐天堂app下载 ‘double award’ wording has caused confusion and misinterpretation in 乐天堂app下载 teacher community. We are concerned with teacher perception of 乐天堂app下载 new GCSE ‘乐天堂app下载 Sciences’ qualification and we pushed for Qualifications Wales to minimise negative comparisons with 乐天堂app下载 outgoing qualifications, and comparable qualifications in England, by removing this ‘double science wording’.”
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