Michael Gove axed as Education Secretary

So Gove has been promoted to Chief Whip and will be "Call me Dave's" chief gopher in the run up to next years General Election and as such he will have an enhanced role in campaigning and doing broadcast media interviews. Doesn't Dave realise that Gove comes across as a smug dickhead?

As much as I hate Gove because he's really stupid and all he's done is **** on things, it's even worse that his successor only got the job because she's a woman.

Ironically it's ****ing sexist. She doesn't even have any experience in education.

1. I've just graduated from university and planning to go into the university sector
2. I'm talking from what my mum has said and from the fact that after having a fairly long discussion with my lecturer, he said the maths syllabus for example had content taken out to make it more accessible.
3. Do not treat me like I'm some 15 year old whop doesn't know what they are talking about.

I doubt there will be an improvement.

In more promising news, Patterson has been culled from the Cabinet altogether.

I am always sceptical with this Tory party that anything material will change - denying climate change, toadying to the corporations, seeking to block sensible environmental policies at the EU and cutting funds to vital research - all grist to the mill of our excellent government. Not that New Labour were much better.

God knows why everybody's celebrating... "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss".

On asking a teacher if she's happy that Gove has gone: "Well yes, he's just got a face you want to slap hasn't he?"

State education is terrible in the UK. Gove may have not been likeable, but at least he was trying to bring back standards. I always thought he was pissing against the wind because the teachers union is ultra leftist, and were totally against his reforms.

The only hope for a decent education in Britain is either to go private or carry on studies outside of school. Give up school altogether and homeschool even.

Well done for graduating. I apologise for my ungracious reply.

It's okay, read this whilst I just got up and mind is in a very odd place

Anyway the point remains that Gove's plans make it easier for people to fail rather than increasing the rigour of the education system. There is nothing wrong with making education more accessible. People should be able to enjoy a course and be rewarded from it and not fear it! And if you make it ridiculously tough then people are going to favour other less demanding subjects.

I sort of understand what he was trying to do, however I don't think he was going about it the right way. Personally, I think the major problem is that he was like "I want results and I want them now!" Which as someone who works in education and outreach can make it very difficult as to what will be happening on the curriculum the following year (I think the EB was an example of me going "seriously".

The issue of A-Level mathematics content is one which apparently, to some, is a non- issue. According to the Engineering Professor's council they state that "the principal problem with current A Levels lies in the forms of assessment used rather than their subject content." Furthermore, many advocate the modular system/ the non-linear end of two years assesment, because there's time constraints as to how much content can actually be effectively assessed from the two years, in a few weeks.

On the other side of it, is how it affects further study, which you correctly pointed out. However what needs to also be noted on the subject of Mathematics is that, and I quote MEI on this "AS/A level Mathematics is taken
by students to serve a wide range of future aspirations. Only a small minority go on to read degrees in the mathematical sciences." So, that course has to serve many students for a wide range of functions/ destinations. Not just people who intend to read mathematics, not saying they should be taken into account, but the fact is many do not actually read mathematics further on.

But, what about those who actually want to study mathematics? The universities should play a role, if they are dissatisfied with mathematical knowledge of students. Like suggesting particular qualifications to take for mathematics. Or which modules to take specific to individual A level courses.

Whilst, they may be dissatisfied with the knowledge of students, they may also not want the numbers of students to fall!!!

The whole end of two years assessment, is purely a memory test, and I don't think it can test people effectively. There's no way I can see it, as anything else. You plan on testing students at the end of two years and call that rigour? I call that, making people fail to make it seem like rigour.

What makes this worse is that I'm sure if would put people off doing certain subjects.
Why take a subject you know you're likely to fail, when you could take others! That won't be as difficult to pass. That stems from, not the content, but the assessment! Also, with the AS's being a stand alone qualification not contributing to the overall A Level means, that, in my opinion, many students will not carry on harder subjects. That, reduces accessibility in my opinion.

I do think reforms can be good. But I think they need to be thought out massively and should be for positive.

I'll explain my thought here a bit more which instigated my initial thought process. Personally I think that the following should happen:

1. Have a single exam board per subject (so Edexcel for Maths, AQA for English etc. ) I say this because it not only removes the idea of certain exam boards being easier then others
2. Have it so that the bench mark of getting a C and an A is more distinct and not dependent on how many students make slip up mistakes
3. Potentially reintroduce AEA papers in a wider range of subjects to really push students.

Now regarding his ideas.

I do think that having exams only sat at one time of the year is better for the simple fact that sometimes going into A Level and being told you have a major exam in about 8 weeks can really throw off the system and not really give you a chance to have ideas develop. In addition, I know some universities have January exams however I know for a lot of departments in my uni they now have all assessments in June which a lot of students are not used to.

I think it's stupid to have the current system of content made into a 2 year linear system. I was in the year group where we had no modular exams for most of our papers and as such were prepared for this. However, when you have a serious question based on the first week of content it's a scary thought

In addition, they need to consult education experts more. I remember seeing the sample paper for the GCSE paper. I had a student who didn't know last year that $x$, $1.x$ and $\frac{x}{1}$ was the same thing. When I looked at the paper I was thinking "I don't think my student had passed ... "

Regarding the AS being a stand alone qualification it felt like they were making it like the Scottish system. However, the difference there is that the A2 "content" is covered within the first year for universities. So whilst that pressure is "there" it's sort of been offloaded whereas in this case it isn't

My ideas may be a little bit muddled (I do apologise) but overall, I think you need to find the balance between making the content harder whilst ensuring that students can pass and teachers feel confident.

A bad decision.

While their were some wrong calls, he was pushing us in the right direction.