Who would have guessed that the government’s biggest crisis so far in this pandemic year would come not over health or jobs but education? Boris Johnson’s government is still reeling from the A-level and GCSE fiasco and things are not looking much better when it comes to public confidence over the full reopening of schools in September.
But draw back from the endless, empty political rhetoric about ‘levelling up’ and the pandemic has instead revealed an enduring, depressing truth. Our school system directly disadvantages poorer children, whether through the gaping private-state school divide, inequality in university access or our continued failure to establish a robust set of vocational qualifications.
According to a recent Education Policy Institute report, even before the pandemic hit, the already stark gap between the better-off and those on pupil premium is once again widening.
Our over-reliance on exams does not foster intellectual independence or sound judgement
This summer’s exams fiasco has also led to calls for a fundamental rethink of high-stakes testing from the early years through primary SATS (Standard Assessment Tests) to the new ‘tougher’ GCSEs and A-levels redesigned under Michael Gove.
Roughly a third of children fail to get a Level 4, the equivalent of a pass, in English and maths at GCSE. With such a relentless focus on testing throughout the school, years, it is no surprise that education has become such a dull and demoralising experience for so many pupils.
According to employers, many young people, even those with good results on paper, are not coming into the workplace with the right kind of skills, be that the ability to communicate clearly, collaborate effectively or think laterally or creatively. Our over-reliance on exams does not foster intellectual independence or sound judgement.