NEWS FOCUS SecEd: On Your Side


An ambition for a Whole Education


ALLOW ME to step away from the political rhetoric of late for this week’s editorial and give a very warm welcome to a new educational and innovation organisation that is hoping to lead a new front in the fight for education. Last week, SecEd reported on the launch ofWhole


Pete


Henshaw Editor SecEd


Education (Innovation group aims for ‘broader and deeper education’, SecEd 252, June 10, 2010). During their launch event recently, I spoke to Dr John


Dunford, the chairman of the new group and outgoing general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, and pledged SecEd’s support to what they are trying to achieve. Let me explain why by quoting Sir Ken Robinson PhD,


the internationally recognised leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources. In the inspiring introductory video on his website (www.sirkenrobinson. com), he says: “Kids will take a chance. If they don’t know they’ll have a go. They’re not frightened of being wrong. I don’t mean to say that being wrong is the same thing as being creative, but if you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original. By the time they get to be adults most kids have lost that capacity. They have become frightened of being wrong. The result is that we are educating people out of their creative capacities. I believe this passionately; we don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it, or rather we get educated out of it.” I believe that creativity, innovation and the ability to


learn independently are just as important to all of us, and most definitely our children, as the ability to spell, write, and add up. In this, the 21st century, our nation stands at a landmark


moment as we decide what to do with our national curriculum. However, we also have a coalition government that has committed itself to a curriculum of slimmed down core knowledge. To my mind, it is vital that while we must focus to a


part on core knowledge and the most important subjects, we must not do this at the expense of losing the creative aspect of education, which has been gaining respect and momentum in recent years. In the modern world into which our children will be


despatched when they leave education, core knowledge is not enough. The business world is very different to what is was 30 or even 10 years ago and, while I don’t like to use the argument that education’s purpose is to protect the prosperity of our nation, it is the case that education’s goal should be to protect the prosperity of our young people. And in order to do this, creative-thinking, problem-


solving, innovation, risk-taking and so many other important yet often frowned-upon skills have to be taught and valued alongside the traditional core subjects. And so this slightly rambling discourse is my way of


ardently welcoming the aims ofWhole Education (www. wholeeducation.org). The organisation is made up of 14 and counting high profile education innovation organisations, which between them run projects in 5,000 schools, including three quarters of all secondaries. It aims to bring together a range of educational projects that seek to provide a “broader and deeper education” for all young people. As Dr Dunford told me: “At a time when the school


curriculum has become dangerously narrow, it is especially important to emphasise the need for a broad education which embraces not just the essentials of English, maths and science, but a much broader range of knowledge and a set of skills that will really equip young people for life and work in the 21st century.” So well doneWhole Education, SecEd is behind you and


let’s ensure we lobby this new government to emphasise the importance of a broad and whole education, one that instils the traditional subjects, but acknowledges that creative- thinking and risk-taking is part of modern working life. SecEd


• Pete Henshaw is publisher and editor of SecEd. Email editor@sec-ed.co.uk, visit www.sec-ed.co.uk and follow us at www.twitter.com/SecEd_Education. SecEd also producesDelivering Diplomas magazine. Visit www. deliveringdiplomas.co.uk


A difficult year


THE SWINGEING changes to education being brought in by the coalition government will impact on every player in the education system. However, one group of


professionals frequently overlooked despite the vital role they play are exams officers; the committed individuals who are expected to understand the intricacies of each and every member of the ever- growing suite of qualifications. In the short time since David


Cameron became prime minister, we have seen International GCSEs (iGCSEs) given the go-ahead for teaching in state schools, and the four so-called “academic” Diplomas consigned to the scrap heap. It is little wonder that those


representing exams officers are keen to point out the impact these changes have. Andrew Harland, chief executive


of the Examination Officers’ Association (EOA), believes his members do not always get the credit they deserve. “We try our best to raise the


profile of our members. Sometimes people do need a lift, and it’s been a difficult year for exam officers given the additional burdens they have had to deal with,” he told us. It is these burdens, including the


difficulties posed by students being assessed by multiple institutions as part of the Diplomas, and the extra


In three weeks time the Examination Officers’ Association will host its national conference against a backdrop of almost unprecedented


change to the education system. Chris Parr finds out what issues are likely to surface


work involved in modular courses, that will no doubt be discussed in detail at the EOA’s forthcoming annual national conference. Mr Harland continued: “There


will be a range of themes at the conference, and Diploma assessment will be one, I’m sure. However, despite some difficulties, exams officers are professionals. They will deliver what they are asked to deliver. “Having said that, of the officers


we have who are involved in the Diplomas, they view it like any other qualification. The difficulties of the Diplomas have been disproportionately hyped.” In addition to the Diplomas, state


schools have now been given the go- ahead to offer iGCSEs – something thatMr Harland feels could further crowd the qualifications stable. “Change can cause some


fundamental problems,” he told us. “When Diplomas came in there was supposed to be a stripping down of


IN RESPONSE…


Last week, SecEd covered the new legislation that will allow state schools to offer International GCSEs (iGCSEs) (‘Academic’ Diplomas are culled as state schools get the green light for iGCSEs, SecEd 252, June 10, 2010). The qualifications had not


previously been recognised for government funding, and results did not count towards league table performance indicators. Ministers say they have received a lot of interest in offering the new qualifications now that these restrictions have been lifted.


Sir, Regarding the iGCSE, there will be great benefits to both sectors if maintained schools are allowed to use them. The iGCSE is often


misleadingly described as tougher, old-fashioned or like the old O level. It’s really none of those things. But it does seem to resist some of the banality in questioning that bedevils some GCSEs. It does have exams at the


end, rather than having all those modules that were designed to spread the load but in effect merely prolong the pressure. It does not have controlled assessments, the misguided solution to coursework problems that has made a nonsense of coherent teaching in year 11 in many subjects and perversely outlaws use of the internet and makes even use of computers for word-processing problematic. It does not have coursework


either. It is probably a bit more content-heavy and less skills- based in general. Above all it does


seem to let teachers get on with the business of teaching until the summer of year 11. More important, although


I never used to be a proponent of market forces, given that government and its various exam quangos have between them managed only to increase the problems of standards, complexity, marking, bureaucracy and content of GCSE, it will be good to see whether the fact of all schools being about to opt for a rival exam will encourage the GCSE-providing boards and iGCSE alike to sharpen up their collective acts.


Dr Bernard Trafford Headteacher The Royal Grammar School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne


Sir, If iGCSEs are really of O level standard, many students will be unable to cope with them as they are used to their learning being scaffolded – being helped a lot and therefore failing to become independent learners. Schools will therefore choose


to remain with the GCSE as a softer option. During the late seventies and early eighties I was an examiner for O level and when I gave the same papers to a GCSE group 10 years later they struggled.


Neil Berry Principal Community Links (a school for students excluded from mainstream education), east London


GCSEs and A levels, but that didn’t happen.We got the existing GCSEs and A levels with the Diploma put on top. “Therefore, the question with


new developments – like the iGCSE – will be whether they become yet another layer, which could be even more burdensome for examination officers.” The line-up for the national


conference boasts some impressive names, from journalists and commentators, to unionists and government representatives. Among them is Isabel Nisbet,


chief executive of the exams regulator Ofqual, who was keen to point out how important exams officers are to the examination process. “They are at the absolute axis


of what is a huge programme of change,” she told us. “We have every respect for the complexity of (being an exams officer) and the load placed on their shoulders.”


Ms Nisbet will face questions


from exams officers at the national conference, and is expecting to be quizzed on the growing range of qualifications on offer and, in particular, the impact that an increase in the number of modular GCSEs will have on their workload. “Modular courses are more


complicated ... there is a lot more chasing up to be done. Next year there are more modular GCSEs, and this could be their biggest challenge.” However, Ms Nisbet feels


that officers have already proved their ability to handle a broad range of qualifications, and has every confidence in their ability to continue to do so. She said: “A large number


work with qualifications like OCR Nationals and BTECs. The iGCSE will be no more complicated.” Another issue likely to rear its


head at the event is the introduction of A* grades at A level – something thatMsNisbet saidOfqual had been treating with “the utmost importance” in order to ensure the grades awarded are consistent and fair.


SecEd


• For more information on attending the Examination Officers’ Association national conference, which takes place at the Wyboston Lakes Conference Centre near Bedford from July 6 to July 7, visit www.examofficers.org.uk


www.sec-ed.com


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SecEd • June 17 2010


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