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Young people who fail to score a decent pass in GCSE English and maths face a “blockage” to further study and work, the Education Secretary has said amid calls for reforms to compulsory resits in the subjects.
Hundreds of thousands of pupils across England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their GCSE grades and technical awards on Thursday – with students able to view their results in an app following a successful trial last year.
The proportion of GCSE entries awarded top grades rose on last year but the rate scoring a decent pass returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to the figures from the Joint Council for Qualifications.
The gap in results between boys and girls shrunk again to its narrowest point this century while the gap in top grades between London – the best-performing region – and the North East – the worst-performing – widened to the largest since current records began.
Concerns have flooded in about the Government’s policy of making students in England resit maths and English GCSEs after the latest data showed more students aged 17 and above took the subjects this year but got worse results.
The increase in post-16 entries is likely driven by pupils retaking the core GCSEs if they do not secure at least a grade 4 – broadly equivalent to a C grade and considered a “standard pass”.
Lucy Powell told the Press Association: “There’s got to be a better way to give young people the skills and confidence that they need to succeed, not just branding them a failure, and also allowing them to gain other qualifications that show they have a strong foundation in English and maths.
“So that’s why I want to bring in a new level one qualification so they’ve got a strong foundation in English and maths that gives them that passport to go on for further study or an apprenticeship or a training place, which at the moment they’re often finding there’s a blockage because they haven’t got the 4 in English and maths.”
She said the review into the Neets (not in education, employment or training) crisis has found pupils struggling to pass those subjects is contributing to the more than one million young people aged 16 to 24 neither working nor learning.
Ms Powell said introducing new preparatory qualifications for students before they retake English and maths will help end the cycle of demoralising resits and tackle the Neets crisis.
She said the Government is also boosting technical and vocational education so that young people have more choices.
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