Education White Paper: Key Points
An overhaul of the education system was announced on Wednesday. Here is a summary of the main points included in the Government's White Paper.
- Foreign languages to be made compulsory up to the age of 16
- A shake-up of league tables will see schools ranked higher for the number of pupils taking GCSEs in five core subjects – English, Maths, science, a language, and a humanities
- Experts such as Simon Schama will be brought in to review the curriculum
- New test to determine whether schools are failing and should be taken over
- One of the proposals is to raise the threshold at which schools are considered to be "failing" to fewer than 35% of pupils achieving five GCSEs graded A* to C. Currently, the level is 30% and, based on 2009 data, the change would affect 439 schools.
- Targets are to be introduced for primary schools for the first time
- A reading test for six-year-olds to check if they can recognise simple words like "cat" and "street" will be brought in
- Trainee teachers will spend more time in the classroom
- More assessment of teacher training applicants, including tests of character and emotional intelligence
- Teachers are expected to receive guidance on how to search pupils for more items, including mobile phones and pornography, and when they can use force
- Alongside an overhaul of teacher training, the White Paper, The Importance of Teaching, is likely to contain sweeping reforms to qualifications. This could mean abandoning modular - so-called "bite-size" GCSEs in favour of linear exams taken after two years of study.
- Former troops will be offered sponsorship to retrain as teachers
- Anonymity for teachers being investigated for inappropriate behaviour, to protect teachers from malicious allegations
- Scrapping rules limiting head teachers' ability to observe teachers' lessons to three hours each year
Read more... (Daily Telegraph - 24 November)