Change the System

GCSE's are thoroughly pointless, surely you can see that? At least, they're slightly pointless. But they still need a good changing. Like so:

• Give us the option EXACTLY what to take. Currently, we are required to take 10 or 11 GCSE's, at least one of which must be a language, one of which must be a technology and one must be an arty subject. This is almost as oppressive as them choosing for us. Would it not be a lot better to teach us how to make the right decisions than to have to make them for us?
• Core subjects should be redefined. Everybody should have a basic grasp of numeracy and literacy, but this is done before the GCSE's start. All of GCSE English is concerned with analysis of other texts (a ripping apart activity designed to remove any decency that a book once had) and a small dose of creativity. GCSE English should also encourage more on the oral side of things. Speaking publically, or at least making your views known is a vital part of life that so many kids leave school without. GCSE Maths is all very complex, and much of it has little practical use. It is therefore above and beyond the requirements of Basic Numeracy. What sane person needs to know how to differentiate a polynomial in everyday life? Well actually, you might need to know it if your job involves maths, but if that's the case, you should be taking it anyway, shouldn't you?
• Schools need to recognise that everybody is different. Not all of us will, or even CAN conform to their whims. There are many people for whom science is a dead end with absolutely no value to them at all. They should be identified and not be forced to take it. The same goes for other subjects; not everybody (in fact, I'd go as far as saying NOBODY) should be forced to take PE without their consent, and arts and languages are skills and interests which can and should be identified at an earlier age than Year 9.
• Coursework is dodgy. Students taking a language could quite easily have foreign parents to help them, which is baitly unfair. The same can be said for the major technology project (60% of the GCSE marks, which could all be done by a parent). Stricter controls need to be in place, or completely abandoning it, or doing it all in lesson time. Although it is quite good being able to spend a fair amount of time on something at home.
• Modernise the subjects. ABSOLUTELY NOBODY EVER will need to know ANYTHING about Shakespeare. Ever. Even English teachers. Why do people even remember the word Latin? Studying Latin for it's use is fine, but learning it as a language is cretinous. Why aren't the options for technology more modern (surely a good design project would be Web Design?)

Before anything is said, I DO understand the value of a wide and varied education, but I see more value in identifying people's differences, and playing on their skills. There is nothing wrong with a wide education, but it's only making children into zombies who all know exactly the same things. Identify what they're good at! Teach them more of it! Teach them how to make the right decision for themselves, rather than teaching them a little bit of everything and hoping they'll keep their options open because of it! Otherwise, we'll carry on being jacks of all trades, masters of none (no offense, Jak).

I'd quite like to see a GCSE in comedy, as well, as I'm sure you'll be aware of, having read Funny. Specifically, it could include:

• 20% written coursework, made up of two pieces worth 10% each. One could be a live performance, and the other could be for pre-recorded medium.
• 10% narrative comedy, written in the style of a book.
• 20% performance, with two pieces worth 10% each. One could be original and the other could be somebody else's work.
• 25% exam - a case study on a chosen comedian, or a chosen style of comedy.
• 25% exam - read a book and answer questions on it.

Come to think of it, it might have to be an A-level, as original material is not something that is often asked of you at GCSE level. You might ask how anybody could mark your work, but you could equally ask how anybody could mark a piece of music. They don't have to like it, they only have to appreciate that all the right things are there, just like music. The performance could be marked like a drama performance. The case study and analysis of a book (hmmm... getting into dodgy territory here) would be just like an English exam, as would the narrative coursework. Oh I don't know. I'm not an exam board, am I? They can work it out. Just as long as they do.

A GCSE in Computer Design would be interesting as well. It might be an extension to Graphic Products. What people doing design GCSE's today aren't taught is the third dimension. Everything you do assumes that it is on a piece of paper, but that is not true any more. What you see on a computer screen is not the whole picture. It is only a small slice of something. It is, essentially, three dimensional. Even if an encyclopedia article shows an image on screen of a 3D model (and even if the picture on a paper encyclopedia is of a 3D model), it still doesn't show the article on Australian Birds, which is still there, just not visible. I'm not sure if I'm getting this across. Never mind. The thing is: more open mindedness!

GCSE's are not the only place where there is room for improvement. How many times have you ever been to a lesson with a person from a different year group? Let me guess: never? And yet how many people will you be working with (in the future, in whatever job you have) who are a different age to you? Let me guess again: quite a few. So how about bringing 6th formers into lower school classes once a week (or whenever) to do some work. If the 11th year Chemistry class was split into groups, each of which had two 6th formers leading it, the lower school pupils would benefit from some co-ordination (something that is often badly lacking in science lessons, not to mention any of the others) and help (lots of time is often wasted because you don't know where to find an eleven-hooked-prop-prong), and the 6th formers would benefit from some practice in leadership, and of course revision. The school is extremely segregated at the moment, and I don't think it should be this way.