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Which GCSE subjects should be compulsory?

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It is isn't it?
Original post by Bill Nye
It is isn't it?


yeah
English language
English lit
Maths
A science ie: Physics, Biology, chemistry
A language
A humanity

Get rid of RE and stop forcing people too do 3 sciences that do nothing to help education only put more pressure and stress on students.
Original post by sr90
Languages. Go to Western Europe and almost everyone you meet is fluent in English as well as their home language. Why can't we be like that too?


The Dutch, Swedish, Norwegians, and a high proportion of Danes are fluent in English for two reasons:

1. Their own languages are only used by a small fraction of the world's population and largely confined to their home countries.

2. Next to nobody in Britain or the US studies them.

It's a myth that Germans all know English because large numbers have very limited fluency. The French are almost as monoglot as the British are and have a hatred for the English language.
-MATHS
-SCIENCES
-RS
-ONE HUMANITY
-COMPUTER SCIENCE
-ENG LANGUAGE


NOT English Literature
(I think this applies to my school) NOT a language

English Literature is useless and most students at my age know this. No it does not help you speak, read or write better, maybe faster under exam conditions but that's about it. Shakespeare's Macbeth and Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are irrelevant nowadays, and no student knows when they will need this

At least English Language has a section dedicated towards descriptive writing and Article writing which has its uses

Many students know that a language will NEVER help them as lot's of students don't want a career in languages. It only adds more stress to students and I don't think students would like to take it even if "it looks good on your CV"

RS should be compulsory, as in our politically correct era, knowledge of religion is so needed- no matter what, even if the religion is a pile of ******** or creates radical terrorists. This is because those who have little knowledge can be easily be swayed and indoctrinated by politicians or religious leaders- for good and for bad More right-wing extremist parties could emerge, or more left wing. More terrorists could emerge because they misinterpreted things of their own religion. No matter what Knowledge is needed. KNAWLEDGE is POWAH!!

I cba writing anymore
English lang ( as far as I’m aware Lang is the only compulsory one and I think lit is more useful than people give credit but I wouldn’t force people to take it)
Maths
Science ( I’ve always thought about having triple science being compulsory in some way but from what I’ve found, many schools can’t manage teaching everyone triple award, but all pupils should at least be given the option of it)
Computer science ( opposed to IT since It is no longer being sat from now)
RS ( more so now because as far as I can tell the content is more ethically based)
I don’t think it’s necessary for any other subjects to be compulsory, though it should be mandatory for all schools to offer at least two MFLs for gcse ( as far as I understand some schools don’t)
Politics would be interesting to see being offered at gcse but given I don’t support lowering the voting age... I really don’t see the point of making it mandatory. I’d much rather have economics be mandatory over politics ( I still think it wouldn’t be necessary ). Political affiliations seem to come from experience and I’d much rather people doing history first at gcse, to have a better understanding should they choose politics at a level
Original post by shadowdweller
As simple as the title, which GCSE subjects do you think should be compulsory, and why? Are there any ones that are required now that you think shouldn't be?


I definitley feel that Psychology/Sociology should be compulsory. Mental Health is massively underacknowledged.

Many schools don't actually teach these GCSE's anymore.
Original post by ThEpOLiTiCaLgUy
English language
English lit
Maths
A science ie: Physics, Biology, chemistry
A language
A humanity

Get rid of RE and stop forcing people too do 3 sciences that do nothing to help education only put more pressure and stress on students.


I’d argue that you need the taste of all three sciences at gcse because to be honest key stage 3 sciences offer very little in terms of pushing someone to prefer one over another. Plus the 3 sciences nicely link in with one another during that time so the skills across the three are useful
Original post by _gcx
At GCSE, current subjects + IT. I'd like to see some sort of non-examinable "life skills" lesson covering finances etc.

Unless serious changes are made to the language specifications, I would not deem it worthwhile to make it compulsory. Students can get good passing grades barely able to form a sentence, which is all well and good for those who hated language GCSEs like myself. Regardless the level of fluency it claims to give students is hardly something to rave "global citizen" about.


I admit the old language syllabus was quite bad ( the age of Control assessments did not do any good for encouraging learning) though the new set of exams seem more rewarding, that you can’t just look everything up using online software and actually put effort into knowing how the language works to get a decent grade.
Reply 29
Avatar for dxna.s
dxna.s
15
Original post by _gcx
Only UCL actually specifies this. Overall the importance of having a language at GCSE for university is overstated, most are not fussed.


I still say everyone should at least gain a GCSE in a foreign language. You never know when it could come in useful
Original post by sr90
Languages. Go to Western Europe and almost everyone you meet is fluent in English as well as their home language. Why can't we be like that too? !


Chinese businessmen, in negotiations with the Chilean government... all parties would speak in English. A Portuguese scientist collaborating with a Filipino colleague... they'd both speak in English. For various reasons, English language is the universal Human language.

Why would anyone who's first language is English learn another language... utterly less widely spoken? Which to choose? Spanish, French, Chinese? Having good English skills, means you are capable of speaking with anyone important enough to matter, anywhere in the world.
But compulsory; English Lang & Maths. That's it.

At least one science ought to be highly encouraged, but not necessarily compulsory. More creative, artistic types, just have no interest or ability to understand even simple scientific concepts. Sad, but many leave school with an understanding of how reality works that is basically prehistoric.
A lot of people are saying languages, but I disagree unless we change the way they are taught. Most other european countries teach english and most kids are pretty much fluent as teenagers.
I did french gcse, but we were taught it through middle school and highschool. I can probably say one or two phrases now. I didn’t try very hard, but we weren’t taught well and only learnt how to say phrases that aren’t conversational.

I’d like to be able to speak another language, but in the UK we aren’t taught well. You’d have to put in a lot of extra effort on your own. So if it is made mandatory they really need to step it up, I see it as a worthless waste of a gcse for me.
Original post by _gcx
Only UCL actually specifies this. Overall the importance of having a language at GCSE for university is overstated, most are not fussed.


also ucl offers manners of filling that requirement while attending, at least for fine art.

maths, english and science i guess but i think we need to revamp the entire system.
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by dxna.s
I still say everyone should at least gain a GCSE in a foreign language. You never know when it could come in useful


I don't subscribe to the learn it because you never know when it could come in useful mentality.

You have to consider how many languages there are in the world and that none of them are truly global apart from English and none are clearly obvious for a person to learn if English is their first language.

It's possible to be fluent in German as a second language but it will be useless in a situation where one needs to know Malay or Arabic. Same if one is fluent in Malay or Arabic as a second language and they are in a situation where one needs to know German.

Original post by cat_mac
A lot of people are saying languages, but I disagree unless we change the way they are taught. Most other european countries teach english and most kids are pretty much fluent as teenagers.


Because they have a practical use for English - even if it's only to play video games.

I’d like to be able to speak another language, but in the UK we aren’t taught well. You’d have to put in a lot of extra effort on your own. So if it is made mandatory they really need to step it up, I see it as a worthless waste of a gcse for me.


Speaking a language is a different skill from reading and writing a language. Are you aware how many young people in Britain can speak another language fluently although they might not be able to read and write it?
Reply 35
Avatar for MR1999
MR1999
21
Original post by _gcx
At GCSE, current subjects + IT. I'd like to see some sort of non-examinable "life skills" lesson covering finances etc.

Unless serious changes are made to the language specifications, I would not deem it worthwhile to make it compulsory. Students can get good passing grades barely able to form a sentence, which is all well and good for those who hated language GCSEs like myself. Regardless the level of fluency it claims to give students is hardly something to rave "global citizen" about.


ICT isn't even considered a GCSE anymore. Computing would be a better choice.
Original post by MR1999
ICT isn't even considered a GCSE anymore. Computing would be a better choice.


I thought only A-level IT was being scrapped?
Original post by _gcx
I thought only A-level IT was being scrapped?


Examination reforms said that ICT could not transition to the new 9-1 system... which makes sense given the 60% pathetic CAB stuff and a pointless exam didn’t really do many favours 😜
English
Maths
Science
ICT
A language
Original post by CountBrandenburg
Examination reforms said that ICT could not transition to the new 9-1 system... which makes sense given the 60% pathetic CAB stuff and a pointless exam didn’t really do many favours 😜


I wasn't aware of this actually. Even if not a GCSE I still think there should be a mandatory IT qualification more vocational than computing though perhaps not as useless as the ECDL. (this requirement could be "overrode" by a student doing computing)

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