GCSE resit cycle 'simply not working', union says

Nearly one in four maths and English GCSEs in England were taken by students aged 17 and older, mostly resitting exams they had previously failed, according to results data. The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) called the fail-resit cycle “simply not working,” with most retakers falling short again Source: BBC.

The reaction

Education leaders and experts criticised the government’s plan to continue requiring resits. Pepe Di’Iasio, ASCL general secretary, said the policy was “force-feeding” students a “relentless diet of GCSE English and maths” Source: The Guardian. Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, warned the new qualification could create a “two-tier system” if not carefully designed Source: The Guardian.

Government plan

The government announced a new “stepping stone” qualification from 2028 at Level 1, one level below GCSEs, for students who do not achieve a pass in maths or English. Education Secretary Lucy Powell described the current policy as “a hamster wheel” and said the new qualification would give young people a “passport” to further study or apprenticeships Source: The Guardian. However, the plan has been met with scepticism, with Paul Whiteman of the National Association of Head Teachers calling for an end to the current policy Source: The Guardian.

Key figures

• Only one in seven students retaking GCSE maths got a grade 4 or above; one in six passed English Source: The Guardian.
• Seven in 10 of 16-year-olds achieved pass grades in maths and English, while 620,000 year 11 students face resits next year Source: The Guardian.
• The regional divide in England has grown, despite government pledges to tackle inequality Source: BBC.