Commenting on GCSE and Level 1 and 2 vocational and technical qualifications results published today, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“All students should feel proud of their achievements today and we congratulate them, their teachers, support staff, leaders, parents and carers for all their efforts.
“Today’s results have been achieved against an examination system that does not plays to all strengths and is in urgently in need of reform.
“The sheer volume of formal written testing required for GCSEs is beyond burdensome – for teachers and students. In the vast majority of subject entries, it is the only way students are allowed to show what they know and can do, and this simply does not do them all justice. It also causes significant, avoidable stress and anxiety given the high stakes attached to this all or nothing method of assessment.
“The EBacc forces the arts, vocational and technical subjects increasingly further out of the curriculum. The content is not representative of all students and their communities, and is not sufficiently engaging, inclusive or modern.
“NEU members welcome the government’s upcoming review of these issues, to ensure future cohorts do not have the same inadequate experience. It is vital that their expertise, as well as student voice, is central to any changes.
“Desperately high levels of child poverty are also a huge barrier to children and young people’s education, making concentrating and learning an almost impossible daily struggle. Long standing regional disparities in results have continued this year and we know that levels of child poverty are not equal across the country. We will have to wait for further analysis to know if these regional disparities are a reflection of unequal circumstances nationally, but should that be the case it would further highlight the injustices that need addressing. The new cross-Government Task Force on child poverty is welcome because tackling child poverty levels are going to need a joined-up plan.”