GCSEs

[ONeill]

Anyone with children sitting them and think they're much easier than in their day (or O Levels)?

The reason I'm asking is that I can't remember lads getting 10 As in my day. Maybe they did.

[Owen Brannigan]

Can't compare apples to oranges!

Modular exams with a coursework element will always give the student the best possible chance to excel and more power to them.

The old O and A levels were norm referenced which meant that no matter how hard or easy the exam the same percentage of candidates got each grade, e.g. 69% passed A levels. 

This meant that in some years you could pass O level maths with as low as 25 to 30%.  No matter how good you were at a subject it was how much better you were than all the others doing the same exam that counted.   

So, for example, A level Chemistry had a small number taking it each year, in NI about 2000, but most of them were of high ability so high achievers found it difficult to get a top grade as only a fixed percentage could do so. Real competition to get grades. Whereas a subject like History had a large number of candidates taking it and with a wider range of abilities so more could get top grades because the same percentage of candidates per grade as with Chemistry was applied to a greater number of candidates.

The current GCSE and A levels are criterion referenced assessment which do not have fixed percentage of candidates per grade.  The more you know and can do, the higher the grade you get.  Hence, as pupils and teachers play the assessment game increasingly better, the achievements continue to improve.

So, GCSE and A level exams are not easier, they are more efficient in finding out how much students know and can do and students and teachers know how to do their best.

Well done to all of those who got their results this week and last.

[ONeill]

Would you say teaching has improved?

[Milltown Row2]

Would you say teaching has improved?

Have subjects evolved like teaching has?

[ONeill]

Would you say teaching has improved?

Have subjects evolved like teaching has?

Do you think your teachers went the extra mile for you?

[omochain]

Look if you have issues with this ... just declare... I live in Ireland, I want to do the leaving!!!!

[Milltown Row2]

Would you say teaching has improved?

Have subjects evolved like teaching has?

Do you think your teachers went the extra mile for you?

I wasn't interested at school, sports and history were the only things i enjoyed, that was, history as I liked our history teacher and sport as I was into sport..

I went to secondary school in the early 80's in West Belfast, getting through to 5th year was an achievement. Did teachers go the extra mile? Looking back I think they were tired and going through the motions, they were all at the school when it opened in early 70's, a tough enough period to teach.

I wouldn't blame them for not igniting a thirst for education , as I never had one then..

[imtommygunn]

Would you say teaching has improved?

Have subjects evolved like teaching has?

I would say it has had to. I think parents would put a lot more pressure on these days than "in my day". Transfer tests etc involve way more than structured reasoning in primary schools.

In secondary schools also there seems way more "opportunities" in terms of competitions from things like spelling to speaking publicly to sports.

I think the internet has probably pressurised things more especially in smaller schools. Parents and children have access to a lot more information. Pre internet you were really at the will of the teacher. (e.g.  I remember going into a GCSE exam where there were questions on a lot of stuff we hadn't covered at all. I doubt that would happen these days and if it did I'd say you would be in trouble for it)

[Don Johnson]

Would you say teaching has improved?

Have subjects evolved like teaching has?

I would say it has had to. I think parents would put a lot more pressure on these days than "in my day". Transfer tests etc involve way more than structured reasoning in primary schools.

In secondary schools also there seems way more "opportunities" in terms of competitions from things like spelling to speaking publicly to sports.

I think the internet has probably pressurised things more especially in smaller schools. Parents and children have access to a lot more information. Pre internet you were really at the will of the teacher. (e.g.  I remember going into a GCSE exam where there were questions on a lot of stuff we hadn't covered at all. I doubt that would happen these days and if it did I'd say you would be in trouble for it)

I remember one of our teachers pulling us all to the side before one of our GCSEs in 2001 (Jesus that'a ages ago now) to tell us about some questions he hadn't covered and basically gave us the answers to cover himself.

[imtommygunn]

Ours just didn't admit to anything and blamed the pupils lol.

Same guy taught us the same subject at a level and first thing he was asked for was the syllabus.

[Keyser soze]

I saw a GCSE Maths paper one time, no comparison to the level of difficulty of the O level exam I did back in the day as far as I recall. Don't suppose anyone could throw up a couple of past O and GCSE papers for comparison?

[The Gs Man]

I went to secondary school in the early/mid 90s.  Most of the teachers were of the era when they were allowed to batter you senseless, so they had to adjust and get used to the whole "no corporal punishment" thing.  Don't think they coped too well with that. 

Thankfully most of my kids teachers, whilst under pressure for results, are pretty good.  They really do try and get the best out of them.  So yeah, I think teachers have evolved.

Just annoys me that they're mostly all younger than me.....

[screenexile]

Went to St. Mary's in Magherafelt . . . It would be considered one of the better schools in the area (3 times as good as St Pats) and we had some absolute dungbags as teachers.

Don't get me wrong there were some excellent ones as well but it still surprises me how many teachers back then could be functioning alcoholics/stupid/totally not cut out for being a teacher.

I would hope that things have changed in that regard!

[RedHand88]

Went to St. Mary's in Magherafelt . . . It would be considered one of the better schools in the area (3 times as good as St Pats) and we had some absolute dungbags as teachers.

Don't get me wrong there were some excellent ones as well but it still surprises me how many teachers back then could be functioning alcoholics/stupid/totally not cut out for being a teacher.

I would hope that things have changed in that regard!

I can tell you from ones I know that it hasn't.

[clarshack]

Thought Dungannon Academy had a lot of poor/boring teachers back in the day. No idea what's it like now. Looking back a good few of them were definitely going through the motions.