Exams: A review and indictment of our education and our future generations' expectations

This review is being written having completed 19 of my 24 exams ** in the hall dreaded by so many. This is in addition to Speaking exams in Language and practical assessments in GCSE PE and Drama.

I want to give an end of year report on the end of education as we know it and how the future generations may look back on our experiences, in 2 separate parts. So here goes...


** Though by the time this article is finished, all exams are completed and a flight to Greece awaits!


------------PART ONE - An Overview----------- 

After several mock exams and much content crammed into our cerebral cortexes, exams began with quite a whimper: Religious Studies.

Our R.E department had never been of the highest quality nor a faculty for the school to be proud of. As such, if it wasn't for our head of department's insistence, the entire year would've been entered into the short course. Not even a complete GCSE. In the end we didn't even study a complete course with our time in Year 10 spent with a Computing Teacher, whose knowledge was limited to Gandhi's ridiculing of the phrase 'eye for an eye'. In the final months in Year 11, our teacher resorted to handing out textbooks and making us write out the content into our still predominantly blank empty exercise books. It was to little avail. Hence when I sat in our air-conditioned sports hall for the first time a little over a month ago, rather than providing scripture from the Bible or Qur'an, I turned to the legendary philosophers of Dire Straits and Tears for Fears for evidence of religion's influences in the modern day.

That was 2 exams out of 7 in the first week, the remaining 5 of which were taken with little excitement and mostly relief that the cerebral cortex could relieve itself of so much data, especially after sitting 2 exams immediately one after the other in an abandoned caretakers house. (But that is another story for potentially another post, so I digress.)

With so much content to learn and GCSEs significantly harder than they used to be, we were not given study leave until May half term which fell after 2 weeks of examinations. This however, didn't stop pupils flooding out of lessons due to unexpected illnesses and ailments only to miraculously recover on the day of their examinations. Half term itself was one of the most miserably productive holidays I may ever come to experience and the habits of procrastination were a challenge to avoid- It's remarkable how your perceptions of Sudoku can change so fast!

And so, after half term, the bizarre phenomenon of half-days finally began. My previous experience of half days in school was limited to having 4 lessons out of 5 due to school preparing for an open evening. Yet the concept of walking out of the school gates at 11am without even walking into a lesson leaves me short of words. So since this is a blog, I should probably find a new point of discussion.

My biggest worry with subjects has been science, though this news is hardly new. As someone entered for Triple Science, I have found the sheer volume of content overwhelming at times. Yet I'm left angry at the exam board who give us around 80 more pages worth of content per science to study, memorise, and get our heads around, only to then leave 30 minutes of extra time to cram all of the extra topics into each paper. It's therefore not surprising that vast amounts of each topic were left out, infuriating me as having gone to the effort of learning such evidently irrelevant material. Chemistry for one, was a failure - though that was my fault for assuming my understanding of various topics superseded my need to revise them. But in the words of Confucius and Hereford FC: "the greatest glory lies not in never having fallen but in rising when you fall" and I'm pleased to state that Physics 2 days later went somewhat better.

And then came the final week, a week which the vast majority of pupils didn't even have to contemplate. After my first maths paper was completed in a remarkable 37 minutes, I was expecting a much stiffer test. And that was what I got. Not that that was an issue because further maths to me was a mere tally to add to my list of GCSEs, a mere number to put me ahead of other people when applying for jobs whilst also capping my mathematical education on a high. Seemingly a win-win. Also okay was the German exams which were surprisingly heavy on health and drug use and remarkably scarce on traditions and family. My overwhelming thought from that week though is that as I walked out of that exam hall for the last time, one of R.E.M's lesser known hits came to mind.

Because ultimately, I felt, and still feel fine.

----------PAUSE FOR BLADDER EMPTYING/STOMACH FILLING/ALL OR NONE OF THE ABOVE-------

--------PART TWO - An Indictment--------

It was in Year 6, when our SATs tests were hyped up to us as the makers and breakers of character and ability. They were to be a method to determine sets in important subjects and then, in the years to come, start the pathway to life becoming much more serious. It hurts me to state how wrong this perception was.

The SATs have since petered out into obscurity in my life. They didn't affect my school choice as that was determined upon my location. Nor did it influence my school sets as we were all placed in mixed ability classes for the opening weeks and then set accordingly. But even then, there were set changes made at the beginning of every term. I for one, changed English set in my first term. Our SATs didn't even massively bother our junior school which instead prided itself on its OFSTED inspections which was rated outstanding for 3 inspections in a row.

Our SATs then of 2013, therefore symbolise to me, the obsessive need to assess and stress us youths on our abilities and skills despite having another 7 years of full time education lying ahead of us.

I feel similar comparisons can be made to our GCSEs taken this year.

Depending on how devout a reader you are of my blog, you may remember I made this post which touched on the harsh reality of exams whilst also alluding to the fact that I sat 2 GCSEs last year. This therefore brings my total number of exams in the hall to 27.

Educational league tables have become a more important area in government circles in recent years, and it has been noted by various news websites that the UK is lagging behind nations such as Singapore and South Korea. 

The government has therefore decided that emulating these nations with longer, more challenging school days and harsher assessments and disciplinary procedures is the way forward. Yet such thinking is naïve. These nations have developed a society over many decades that promotes strict education and understanding of society and the wider world. The education system has been therefore carefully built into such lifestyles and implemented as part of a wider shaping of character. 

Yet this government has dropped this large goldfish unexpectedly into the bowls of thousands of children, myself included, sending us and teachers alike into dismay and disarray.

Is there an alternative? I think so, and it means I once again refer to the beloved Nordic welfare model. *Whooping and cheers*

Let's look at Finland.

Finland also consistently ranks highly in world education tables and has taken a more laissez-faire, integrated approach. Teachers are able to choose their own textbooks and every child is entitled to free school meals. Pupils also start school aged 7 (though Kindergarten is popular for younger children) and rarely receive homework from motivated teachers who educate classes usually of no more than 20 pupils.

Whilst making these reforms would also spill water from the goldfish bowl, it demonstrates the contrasting yet equally successful methods of education and shows that a more thorough review may have been needed into the UK's education systems in relation to other worldwide models rather than a rash Govian decision almost sending the Teachers Unions into chaos.

If the government really wants to make itself comparable to other nations, then GCSEs would be abolished. For in major European countries, there is no major GCSE equivalent and results are taken from assessments comparable to A-Levels. (The Abitur in Germany for example.)

Yet this will never happen in the UK as sixth form colleges stand independent of many schools and such reform would affect jobs and future prospects in numerous industries. So, once our A-Levels are taken, focus for employers and universities will be based on the sheer volume of GCSEs taken rather than the content learned to obtain the General Certificates in the first place.

My GCSEs are over and my short term future looks clear to me thanks to a Greek escapade, and  an 11 week holiday to remember. Long term though, that is less certain for all of us. Everyone carries their own dreams and aspirations, for what they want to achieve with regards to their own careers.
 But do you carry this idea that any of these results and certificates to be received in the imminent future, will present any guarantees for this aforementioned utopia? If so, then I'm afraid you've been deeply, deeply misguided. Because from these exam results, all will not be lost but little will have been gained.

FACT of the IPOT: A 9 is the equivalent of an A** and a 5 only represents the top 1/3 of an old Grade C. Hence both a 4 and a 5 are seen as a pass, but a 5 is deemed a 'good' pass. 
Please bear this is mind when interrogating youths on the 23rd August.