Public meetings will enable parents, students, employers and other key stakeholders to find out about the options being considered by the Department of Education and Children concerning the future of 14-16 qualifications.
 
The meetings, being held regionally, will prepare the way for a full public consultation on the route the Island’s education system should take. That will be launched on Wednesday 2nd April and will run until mid-May.
 
Meetings will take place at:
 
Ramsey Grammar School (West building) Tuesday 11th March 6.30pm to 8pm
Castle Rushen High School Thursday 13th March 6.30pm to 8pm
Queen Elizabeth II High School Tuesday 18th March 6.30pm to 8pm
St Ninian’s Lower School, Bemahague Thursday 20th March 6.30pm to 8pm
 
There is no need to book places.
 
The options the Island has will be outlined by Paul Craine, Co-ordinating Adviser for 11-19 Education with the Department of Education and Children.
 
GCSEs in England, introduced in 1988, are being significantly reformed from 2015. The key changes are: 
 
•      the removal of coursework and controlled assessment from most subjects
 
•      the removal of higher and foundation tier papers from most subjects
 
•      changed grading, from 9 (high) to 1 (low)
 
•      an expected reduction (at least in the first years of the new award) of the number of students securing passes at ‘high’ grades.
 
Northern Ireland and Wales have rejected the reforms. In the short term, the exam boards in these countries will continue to offer modular GCSEs with coursework and tiered papers graded from A*-G.
 
Announcing plans for the consultation this month, Tim Crookall MHK, Minister for Education and Children, said the Island had a major decision to make on whether to follow England’s changes or choose an alternative way forward.
 
He said: ‘The GCSEs our schools have been following, administered by the exam boards in England, will cease to be available over the next three years. No change is not an option. We plan to involve all our major stakeholders – students themselves, parents, teachers, employers and the wider public in our decision-making.’
 
The public meetings follow discussions with headteachers and unions and meetings for DEC staff, held this week.