Overhaul proposed for British education

LONDON – The biggest proposed overhaul of Britain’s education system in 60 years was unveiled Monday, including a plan to replace the wave of standardized tests for high-school students with a single diploma system.

The goals include improving basic skills such as reading, writing and mathematics, and giving students more opportunity to follow vocational training.

Currently, British students aged 14-19 take a large number of standardized tests known as GCSEs and A-levels, which are crucial to the allocation of college and university placement. Students usually only study three to five subjects, specializing far earlier than their European and American counterparts, whose diplomas often cover a much wider range of disciplines at less depth.

For example, British students in the arts often stop studying math at age 16, while those preparing for A-levels in science often drop English, languages or humanities.

The average British student now takes as many as 40 all-purpose, supervised exams between ages 16 and 18.

British schools also offer few alternatives to pupils wishing to study more practical disciplines that lead to specific vocational jobs.

The existing education system is often blamed for the fact that Britain has one of the highest dropout rates for post-16 education in the industrialized world.

Under the plan unveiled Monday by former chief inspector of schools Mike Tomlinson, the system of standardized tests would be replaced with a new four-tier diploma. It would include fewer but harder exams, and pupils would take them when they were ready, not necessarily when they reached the specified age.

After taking a common core of English and math subjects, students would decide at age 14 whether to pursue a vocational or academic curriculum, or to combine elements of both.

A “teacher-led” assessment would replace some standardized tests as the main way of evaluating the abilities of students.

Overall goals include reducing the amount of time students spend preparing for standardized tests, rather than engaging in genuine learning; reducing the number of teenage dropouts; and providing a bigger academic challenge for the brightest students.

“The status quo is simply not an option,” Tomlinson said. “Change is not readily embraced, but we are convinced it is needed if we are to enable all our young people to achieve as highly as possible.”

He said the reforms could be introduced gradually over 10 years, if the government approved his proposals.

Education Secretary Charles Clarke seemed to approve the plan, telling legislators Monday it offers a “cogently argued, challenging and compelling vision for the future.”

Clarke said the government would respond to the plan and make “positive and detailed proposals” early next year.