Certainly, however much Secretary of State Michael Gove proclaims a new structure for examinations at around 16 that is relevant to the 21st century, others will maintain that it is a retrograde step back to the 19th century, not just the 20th.
All the evidence and argument for learning in this millennium points away from the single-moment assessment of individuals and towards the importance of group work, projects, presentations and portfolios – for innovation, enterprise and development.
To be fair to Gove, there probably has been something of a race to the bottom in the evolution of GCSEs. Whatever might be said about improved teaching and harder working students, most people have watched incredulously as grades have risen year after year. Standards probably have been diluted. There is also a case for the restoration of examinations as part of assessment procedures, if only to address the challenges around internet plagiarism. Too often, students simply download and repackage material, without any process of digestion, reflection and analysis.
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