Dear madam: letter to the editor 16/12/19

In this week’s postbag to the editor, Tes readers warn that ‘dry’ GCSE English is putting students off the subject
16th December 2019, 2:01pm

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Dear madam: letter to the editor 16/12/19

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/dear-madam-letter-editor-161219
Tes Letters To The Editor: 16/12/19

Make GCSE English more meaningful

Catherine Lough’s article on the decline in take-up for A-level English subjects makes depressing, if necessary, reading for all those concerned with the teaching of English (“Schools dropping A-level English ‘due to tedious GCSE’”, 9 December 2019)

The research that the article cites confirms our suspicion that the “dry” and “tedious” GCSE English language qualification is a significant factor in turning young people away from A-level English.

What your article does not mention is that the declining enrolment for A level is reflected in a reduced take-up for English studies at undergraduate level. Employers, in turn, are finding themselves short of applicants with the skills in advanced communication and critical thinking that English graduates bring to the workplace. The “reformed” GCSE English language has a lot to answer for, it seems.

We now call on the Department for Education to counter the misconceptions about the value of English studies and to look at ways in which the GCSE English language qualification might be rewritten to make it a more meaningful experience for young people.

For our part, we are doing all we can to promote our subject through our national campaign and events such as our subject-wide conference, English: Shared Futures, to be held in Manchester in June 2020.

Rob Penman, chair of the English Association
Professor David Duff, chair of the Common English Forum
Professors Robert Eaglestone and Gail Marshall, co-leads, English: Shared Future
Jonathan Morgan, director, National Association for the Teaching of English
Professor Jennifer Richards, chair of the English Association HE Committee
Alex Thomson, chair of the University English

 

 

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