Teachers get it handy!

[marty34]

Peter Weir .
Just great leadership.
The bury your head in the sand approach again.

How can they do a language and not have any oral test at the end of the year?

[restorepride]

Peter Weir .
Just great leadership.
The bury your head in the sand approach again.

How can they do a language and not have any oral test at the end of the year?

They can have a writing, reading and listening test. Indeed, until a couple of years ago, GCSE languages didn't have an "end of year" speaking test for a rake of years. It was Controlled Assessment. Still the same for GCSE Gaeilge.

However, I agree with your sentiment, I think. Fundamentally, people learn a language to speak it so ditching that element is baffling IMO. Mind you, it could well be that the CCEA consultation reflected that language teachers asked for abandoning the speaking element.

Cac madaidh - teachers simply asked for a reduction of content. Ditching the Speaking element suits CCEA, in all languages, as it saves them much more money.  Bun agus barr an scéil.   

[ONeill]

I can't believe you used the word robust earlier.

[Tony Baloney]

Peter Weir .
Just great leadership.
The bury your head in the sand approach again.

How can they do a language and not have any oral test at the end of the year?

They can have a writing, reading and listening test. Indeed, until a couple of years ago, GCSE languages didn't have an "end of year" speaking test for a rake of years. It was Controlled Assessment. Still the same for GCSE Gaeilge.

However, I agree with your sentiment, I think. Fundamentally, people learn a language to speak it so ditching that element is baffling IMO. Mind you, it could well be that the CCEA consultation reflected that language teachers asked for abandoning the speaking element.

How many people who do GCSE French at school actually go on to use it in any meaningful way? Like lots of exams it is a means to an end.

[restorepride]

Peter Weir .
Just great leadership.
The bury your head in the sand approach again.

How can they do a language and not have any oral test at the end of the year?

They can have a writing, reading and listening test. Indeed, until a couple of years ago, GCSE languages didn't have an "end of year" speaking test for a rake of years. It was Controlled Assessment. Still the same for GCSE Gaeilge.

However, I agree with your sentiment, I think. Fundamentally, people learn a language to speak it so ditching that element is baffling IMO. Mind you, it could well be that the CCEA consultation reflected that language teachers asked for abandoning the speaking element.

Cac madaidh - teachers simply asked for a reduction of content. Ditching the Speaking element suits CCEA, in all languages, as it saves them much more money.  Bun agus barr an scéil.

You can't be sure that all teachers asked for the same thing. (Anecdotal bs but..) I know a French teacher who was hoping for the removal of the speaking unit of the GCSE. Her point was that the preparation for it is very time consuming and having missed so much time and opportunity to practice it (it's difficult through Google Classroom) it was the obvious omission for her. I do understand her point to be fair.
In relation to CCEA's costs, the GCSE speaking exam is conducted by the school language teacher, at zero cost to CCEA.
I would get your point at A Level.

Congrats on knowing a French teacher.  Afraid you are totally out of touch re GCSE - all Speaking exams are marked by CCEA, who employ examiners for this at a great cost.  Zero cost, mo thóin.   

[RadioGAAGAA]

Only £3million from a pot of £50million for integrated education spent. Rest being returned/kept by the treasury. Another major failure by the minister and dept.

http://www.irishnews.com/paywall/tsb/irishnews/irishnews/irishnews//news/2017/02/06/news/almost-all-of-50-million-pot-for-shared-education-returned-to-treasury-920565/content.html

How can that be a failure on part of the minister? He has plenty of failings in recent times, but he can't force people who don't want inegrated education to do so.

There is nothing stopping him from building new schools or facilities with that budget is there?

There are enough integrated schools already around with various needs that the £50m could be committed in a morning if the heads were asked what they would like.

[restorepride]

They employ people to mark the other 3 units also. So ditching the speaking unit rather than one of the other 3 is not a saving. Ie they could ditch the written paper and save the same amount of money. Yet, they didn't - they chose to ditch the speaking.

They may have chosen to ditch a unit to save money. I am wondering why it is the speaking which for me is the most important part of learning a language. Perhaps more people in the consultation asked for the speaking to be ditched rather than the other units. I am only guessing of course.

At least you admit that your assertion of "zero cost for Speaking to CCEA" is incorrect - so yes, you are still guessing.

[restorepride]

I thought when you said that they ditched the speaking to save money, you were saying that it is more expensive to have it than the other exams. Like it is at A Level - an examiner has to come out. I was merely saying that at GCSE the teacher does it at zero cost to CCEA. It still needs to be marked like every other exam, yes.

Éist le fuaim na habhann agus gheobhaidh tú breac.  I do bhríste, déarfainn.

[marty34]

Peter Weir .
Just great leadership.
The bury your head in the sand approach again.

How can they do a language and not have any oral test at the end of the year?

They can have a writing, reading and listening test. Indeed, until a couple of years ago, GCSE languages didn't have an "end of year" speaking test for a rake of years. It was Controlled Assessment. Still the same for GCSE Gaeilge.

However, I agree with your sentiment, I think. Fundamentally, people learn a language to speak it so ditching that element is baffling IMO. Mind you, it could well be that the CCEA consultation reflected that language teachers asked for abandoning the speaking element.

Crazy stuff - doing a language for 5, 6 or 7 years and then no speaking test at the end of it. Like doing maths and doing no sums!!

I'm not so sure how many teachers support this new model. I'd say very few. In fairness, there was handy marks dished out for doing well in speaking exam, and rightly so - it's a language.

[FermGael]

The decision to plough ahead with GCSE Maths is unbelievable.
How can pupils miss 4 months of teaching and still be expected to cover the exact same content ?

The decision that AS grades won't be used to calculate A Level grades is also outrageous.
Basically Peter does not want to hear about last year and he's hoping that this works out again.
This approach worked so well before with the grades in the summer.
He just does not listen to the professionals .
He's incompetent and should be sacked

[marty34]

The decision to plough ahead with GCSE Maths is unbelievable.
How can pupils miss 4 months of teaching and still be expected to cover the exact same content ?

The decision that AS grades won't be used to calculate A Level grades is also outrageous.
Basically Peter does not want to hear about last year and he's hoping that this works out again.
This approach worked so well before with the grades in the summer.
He just does not listen to the professionals .
He's incompetent and should be sacked

Good chance it'll end up in another farce again next summer.

[restorepride]

What shite are you talking now?

Thought you were in to language?  Ties in with your view from a bridge in Anagaire.  Léim.

[illdecide]

What shite are you talking now?

got a laugh HS anyway

[restorepride]

What shite are you talking now?

got a laugh HS anyway

If he could only 'understand' who the laugh is on! 

[restorepride]

What shite are you talking now?

Thought you were in to language?  Ties in with your view from a bridge in Anagaire.  Léim.

Telling me to jump off a bridge? Really? Is there something wrong with you?
The tone of your posts on this thread is remarkably odd although I suspect you have at least some awareness of that considering you choose to hide the nastier parts behind the Irish language.

You're an adult in an online discussion about changes to GCSEs ffs. I imagine you can do that without personally attacking people and suggesting that they should jump off a bridge. Get a grip of yourself.

Léim = I read.  Are your paranoid or something?!  Wise up and no need to use offensice language - "ffs".