My heart sank when I read that Sir Tony Blair had waded into the education debate again calling for the scrapping of GCSEs and A-levels. I don’t disagree with his analysis. Many young people leave school ill-prepared for the exigencies of today’s fast paced and volatile world of work. Is yet another ‘new approach to educational reform’ the answer, and particularly now hard on the heels of an education and skills world still reeling from the pandemic?
It is not hard to imagine the systems meltdown – the collective chaos and seismic stress that would ensue by implementing new ideas posited by political pundits rather than experienced, evidence-based practitioners. Does the energy and resilience of students, parents, teachers, leaders, assessors, civil servants, unions, and employers alike need to be subjected to unnecessary upheaval? I think not – and here’s why.
