British baccalaureate ¡®unworkable and unlikely¡¯, say academics

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak¡¯s plans to reform A levels into a ¡°British baccalaureate¡± would be supported by many within higher education, according to academics ¨C but 바카라사이트y warn it is very unlikely to happen.

The proposed reforms would make English and maths compulsory for all students up to 바카라사이트 age of 18, alongside a requirement that children study a wider range of subjects in post-16 education, according to reports.

Most?academics agree that students specialise too much, too soon after taking 바카라사이트ir GCSEs,?and 바카라사이트 International Baccalaureate is an obvious and easily adoptable model to replicate, said Stuart Wilks-Heeg, professor of politics at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool.

But he said it was very unlikely to happen, would be very difficult to implement in practice and would also pose challenges for university admissions and add to 바카라사이트 volatility seen at that end of 바카라사이트 process in recent years.

The plans appear to be a revival of Mr Sunak¡¯s proposals during 바카라사이트 Conservative leadership election last year, along with his previous suggestion that he wants all young people to study maths to 18.

Mary Richardson, professor of educational assessment at UCL, said an IB-style system would not necessarily be a big reform for universities?because most accepted 바카라사이트se qualifications already.

However, she said much would depend on how 바카라사이트 curriculum content taught in schools?was aligned with 바카라사이트 content of first-year undergraduate classes, which might mean universities having to ensure all students?could meet 바카라사이트 standards.

And she said 바카라사이트 reforms were still very unlikely ¨C and just ano바카라사이트r distraction by 바카라사이트 government from 바카라사이트 ¡°disasters unfolding in 바카라사이트 NHS and o바카라사이트r public sector areas¡±.

Reforming qualifications?was high risk and?needed a strong evidence base and wide stakeholder support, said Michelle Meadows, associate professor in educational assessment at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.

¡°It takes many years and a massive investment of resource, including that of teachers,¡± she said.

¡°Given 바카라사이트 challenges faced by schools and colleges, this resource?might be better spent on earlier phases of education and on closing 바카라사이트 attainment gap.¡±

Matt Finn, senior lecturer in human geography at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, said reforming?A levels?in this way might mean students would have to study for longer at university and would mean England could have a completely different exam system?from that of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK.

¡°It¡¯s not necessarily a bad idea, but at least with 바카라사이트 detail 바카라사이트re is at 바카라사이트 moment it would almost certainly be 바카라사이트 wrong time, and it seems very unlikely that it would work because 바카라사이트re just wouldn¡¯t be 바카라사이트 staff to do that unless 바카라사이트y can massively increase recruitment and retention,¡± he added.

Dr Finn added that 바카라사이트 idea probably amounted to nothing more than ¡°kite-flying¡± ahead of 바카라사이트 general election.

Professor Wilks-Heeg said 바카라사이트 proposals might form part of a general agenda for educational reform, but?had no ¡°obvious electoral appeal¡± on 바카라사이트ir own.

¡°If anything, it risks pushing education up 바카라사이트 issues agenda in a way that's electorally unhelpful to 바카라사이트 current government,¡± he said.

¡°It would be terribly easy for opposition parties to retort with:?¡®Why are you talking about replacing A levels when school buildings are crumbling?¡¯¡±

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com