With students remaining in education until 18 there is no need for exams at 16 (or 5, 11, 14 either). Whilst schools have perfected the test, trace and blame (the teacher gets the blame) over the past decade, and there have been incremental improvements in results as teachers ‘cheat’ the system by only teaching to the exam syllabus; there is no sign of improvements in students understanding and general intellectual ability.
The impact mentally on students and staff is shown by increased medical problems in both groups.
Incessant testing, marking, filing on computer, promotion of teachers of limited skills and charisma to ‘admin posts’ where they can have higher salaries, less teaching time, and reduce teaching quality to the lowest common denominator.
Now is an ideal time for those with imagination and vision to plan for a better future for our education system before it sinks in the mire of targets, tests, marking, red tape and management bullying.
Our children (my grandchildren) deserve a better and more interesting curriculum than the present exam syllabus grind!