Mixed response from schools to massive education shake-up

The Government is currently looking at replacing the post 16 examinations with a broader based system of education.

And if the proposals - predicted for 2010 - go ahead, it will represent the largest shake-up of the educational system since 1944.

Head teachers across the area have mixed feelings about the proposals, but the majority believe there have been too many changes and that a period of stability is now needed.

If the decision to bring the baccalaureate goes ahead, pupils will no longer have to study a foreign language after 14 years old.

They will still have to take exams in core subjects, English, Maths and Science but will have the option to drop many other subjects in favour of vocational courses.

More emphasis will be placed on work-related learning, with students doing work experience with employers as part of the school week.

Headteacher Anne Clarke of Benton Park School, Rawdon said: "I think teachers are going to be in despair with this. We are absolutely worn out with change. Why can't we modify the current system rather than implement full-scale change? It's throwing the baby out with the bath water.

"We are all in favour of giving pupils a curriculum they can identify with and offering vocational courses to students who are less interested in established subjects but in my experience as a modern languages teacher, the baccalaureate is more complicated and heavy-going than our current GCSE system."

Mike Pyle, headteacher of St Mary's School, Menston, said it was the responsibility of schools to ensure the curriculum matched the aspirations and abilities of their students.

"The assessment model chosen is only part of the overall picture and currently we are continuing to develop a curriculum assessed through GCSE, A Level and vocational qualifications."

He added that the current system was working for the majority of the school's pupils.

"For example, last year 97 per cent of our sixth form students gained entry to their first choice university. We shall of course keep a close eye on developments involving the broad range of study offered through the baccalaureate and any other curriculum initiatives promoted by the government."

With the changes predicted to take place in 2010, children currently at primary school will be the first to study for the new examination.

Keith Bothamley, acting head teacher at Guiseley School, said the changes could benefit some students but added that schools could do with settling down after other recent changes to the curriculum.

"There has been a lot of changes in the post 16 year old curriculum and a lot of people are looking for stability," he said.

But he added that for some students a broader approach to their post 16 education could be more beneficial.

"The curriculum is becoming more flexible to meet individual students needs and for some students, a broader, shallower post 16 educational experience would be more beneficial."

Mr Bothamley thought that the new system, if brought in, would bear more similarities to the Scottish system of higher education - where a usual degree course takes four years instead of English universities three years.

And he pointed out changes would have to be made to the system of entry for universities where perhaps a one year 'foundation' course would have to be added.

"Universities would have to adopt a different preliminary foundation year as they do in Scottish universities."

But he warned against constant changes to the educational system. "Things need to have a time of bedding down. Every year seems to be a guinea pig year. "If they're talking about 2010 that is realistic. At the moment, it is quite usual for schools to get just six months notice of significant curriculum changes."

David Humphreys, head teacher of Woodhouse Grove School, Apperley Bridge, said he had mixed feelings about the proposals. "My concern is that the system has already been changed to such an extent that what we need is a period of stability. We have change fatigue in both the independent and public sector."

He added that he believed changes were being proposed as a knee jerk reaction to last year's problems with the A Levels. "We already have a broadly based curriculum up to 16 years old and I don't see anything fundamentally wrong in children at 16 specialising, to prolong breadth after 16 could be counter-productive."

Mr Humphreys said he believed it was time the country took a long hard look at what it wanted from its educational system.

"We need to ask hard questions what we want our curriculum to do for us rather than tinkering with things."

He warned that any change should be made slowly and with full consultation.

"When they have made the decision to change, they have made it far too quickly and the some of the problems that we had last year with the A levels were because of this."

Steve Jex, head teacher of Horsforth School, said he believed Curriculum 2000, the current system of AS levels, was already a good, broad system of education.

"Curriculum 2000 already affords an enormous amount of breadth and an enormous number of pathways for all students. It is not as if we are depriving students of a broader knowledge.

"We've had fantastic results over the last two years and the best the school has ever had."

He added that if after consultation, the changes were brought in, he was confident that the school would rise to the challenge.

Meanwhile, Ilkley Grammar School headteacher Gillian James said she had not yet formed an opinion about the proposals.