Tom Burkard reacts to Michael Gove's secondary school proposals

This morning, it was reported in the Daily Mail that Michael Gove is planning to bring back O-levels and is seeking to scrap the national curriculum for secondary schools, freeing up headteachers.

The plans would amount to a large overhaul in the secondary education system:

  • GCSEs will ‘disappear’ from schools within the next few years
  • The National Curriculum in secondary schools will be abolished
  • The requirement that pupils obtain five good GCSEs graded A* to C will be scrapped
  • Less intelligent pupils will sit simpler exams, similar to the old CSEs
  • O-level pupils will sit the same gold standard paper nationwide from a single exam board

Reacting to the news, CPS research fellow and education expert Tom Burkard said:

“The return to O-levels and CSEs is long overdue–as is the abandonment of the National Curriculum, which effectively lobotomised the educational profession.  However, if this is going to work, Gove will need more special advisers–and these must be teachers who love their subjects and know how to defend them from teaching unions and the other interests that have dominated educational policy for the last two generations.”

Tom is available for media comment through the CPS at 0207 222 44 88.

Date Added: Thursday 21st June 2012