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Use this Wakelet to help you build your Contemporary Issues Presentations. There are lots of articles to get you started at the end of this Wakelet but you will need to conduct your own research.

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Module 4: Assignment 1: Contemporary Issues in Education Presentations: Step by Step Guide

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Use this Wakelet to help you build your Contemporary Issues Presentations. There are lots of articles to get you started at the end of this Wakelet but you will need to conduct your own research.

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Almost 80% of pupils in England who do not achieve a C grade in GCSE maths or English fail to attain this mark during their resits. It is leaving hundreds of thousands of students stuck in a cycle of exams.

"I've failed my maths GCSE four times. It's horrible because you feel like you're stupid.

"You feel like there's something wrong with you. I'm 18, and I'm being put into a class with 15-year-olds," Georgina Tomassi tells the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.

She is desperate to achieve a grade C in maths, after missing out by just a few marks on more than one occasion.

In 2013, the government introduced a policy that said students in England who fail to get a grade C or above in GCSE maths or English should carry on studying the subject, or subjects, until the age of 18, with the aim of achieving this mark.

It means hundreds of thousands of pupils like Georgina - who is also studying for A-levels in drama and health and social care - are taking resits up to twice an academic year.

Figures from the Department for Education show that 77.3% of students in England do not attain a C grade in English or maths when they resit the exam post-16.

"You've got to keep going because I need it to get a job and get into university," she says.

"I'm so close and it's so frustrating."

'440% rise'

At Tolworth Girls' School's sixth form, in Kingston upon Thames in south-west London, Georgina and her friends are taught resit classes, but the teachers' busy timetables mean they are limited to just a couple of hours per week.

Chloe Gatt, the school's head of English, says budget strains mean it is difficult to find enough staff to cover those teaching the extra lessons.

Were she not teaching the resit class, she would probably be with her Year 7 or 8 pupils, or her A-level students, she says.

At City College Norwich, just under half of all new students arrive without a C grade in maths or English.

The college's head of school for GCSEs, English and maths, Ray Cameron-Goodman, says it has seen a 440% rise in the number of students taking a GCSE in the past few years.

"In terms of staffing resource, that comes to many hundreds of thousands of pounds every year," he explains.

Then there is the amount spent on entering each pupil for their resit exam - usually more than £30 per paper - and extra, hidden costs.

Because it has so many pupils retaking exams, City College Norwich has to hire Norfolk Showground, one of the largest indoor spaces in the county.

"The cost of the showground alone is about £50,000 - then there's the cost of the transport, the first aiders, the catering," Mr Cameron-Goodman explains.

The Association of Colleges says that in England last year, one in five colleges planned to hire external venues to cope with the numbers.

Two-thirds of colleges were forced to take on extra short-term staff to teach those taking resits, it adds.

Colleges say there is no additional funding from the government to cover such costs.

For some pupils, the resits can feel like an unwelcome distraction.

City College Norwich offers many vocational subjects, such as cooking, photography and hairdressing.

Josh Bennett, 16, is retaking English. When he leaves education, he hopes to work as a bricklayer.

"I'm more of a hands-on sort of person. I've got eight out of nine distinctions in this course so far.

"I find it very difficult sitting behind a desk and doing something like [studying Shakespeare]. I'd rather be outside and laying bricks, laying concrete - and I'm good at it."

Ryan Eves, aged 20, has taken his English GCSE five times without achieving the elusive C grade.

"It's almost a slight bit of torture. They know that some people just don't get English.

"I've tried so hard just to get a letter on a piece of paper."

Ryan has now been offered an unconditional place at university, and no longer needs a C in English - a fact he describes as "annoying", having spent so much time on the subject.

Mr Cameron-Goodman says the government's policy is "a fantastic thing in principle", but is calling for an alternative set of GCSE qualifications to be made available to students who are consistently unable to reach the required C grades.

He says it is wrong to expect every pupil to achieve this mark, as the exam system is not built in this way.

"There is an expectation by the exam boards themselves that a number of students will not pass the examination, and will not pass the examination no matter how many times they resit that examination, so the two things aren't sitting well together."

A Department for Education spokesman said it was "developing credible, high-quality options for students through reforming Functional Skills qualifications in maths and English, to make sure that they deliver the knowledge and skills that employers need, and consequently have credibility and prestige in the jobs market".
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel.

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Almost 80% of pupils in England who do not achieve a C grade in GCSE maths or English fail to attain this mark during their resits. It is leaving hundreds of thousands of students stuck in a cycle of exams. "I've failed my maths GCSE four times.

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-Children having limited access to equipment, resources and materials i.e Wifi, workbooks, stationery etc

-Lack of funding to supply the necessary resources to manage homework/skills development beyond school time

-There is evidence to suggest children growing up in poverty suffer adverse effects such as poor mental health, physical health, low motivation and aspiration as well as a low income future and a higher chance of this resulting in crime

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The digital divide
The broader inequalities affecting schools were well illustrated by the digital inequality exposed throughout the pandemic. Schools in our most deprived areas were less likely to have the necessary digital technology for remote teaching, and their teachers were less likely to be trained in the use of online platforms. (Child of the North, 2021)

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Is this policy supportive of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion?

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Cultural Capital (Bourdieu): This term refers to the knowledge, skills and behaviours that middle class parents up-hold that can provide their child with an advantage in the education system. i.e developing wider skills such as musical instruments, going abroad, visiting galleries etc.

Educated parents can;
-Offer further support to their children with homework/assignments
-Have wider connections to tutors/Russel groups/private education

Pierre Bourdieu argues that capital (money) is not what gives power to the wealthy, rather cultural experiences, knowledge, behaviour and attitudes.

Bourdieu developed the concept of habitus which he refers to as a culture or 'worldly view' that is typically associated with a particular social class/group. When you are a part of a particular social class/group, your habitus is deeply engrained and often defines your behaviours, attitudes and opinions towards society and education.

Inequality in society leads to inequality in education

This idea of inequality in society leading to inequality in education is supported by Basil Bernstein who identified that there is a correlation between learners habitus and their success in education. He argued that typically working-class teachers, textbooks, exam papers and middle-class pupils share a different language code to working-class pupils and therefore are more set-up for success.

Children who don't have English as their first language-

English exams often not providing culturally diverse texts-

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By Sean Coughlan
BBC News education correspondent

Pupils in England who fail to achieve at least a C grade at GCSE in English and maths will have to carry on taking the subjects to the age of 18, the government has announced.

This follows concerns too many teenagers leave education without adequate skills in literacy and numeracy needed by employers.

It will see some pupils re-taking GCSEs and others taking less demanding tests, aimed at improving basic skills.

This will apply from September 2013.

The changes are set out in a written ministerial statement from Education Secretary Michael Gove.

Leaving age

Alongside high levels of youth unemployment have been complaints from employers that too many youngsters lack basic skills needed to make them employable.

The statement quotes a CBI survey saying two in five employers were not satisfied with literacy levels among school leavers.

It also follows the report from Professor Alison Wolf which warned some pupils were being diverted into cul-de-sac vocational qualifications - when they lacked the basic skills they most needed.

More than 40,000 youngsters a year reach 19 without having had any further lessons in English, after failing the subject at 16, says the Department for Education.

For maths, the figure is more than 60,000 each year.

The changes, linked to raising the leaving age for education and training, will mean youngsters in the education system beyond 16 will be expected to reach an adequate level in maths and English.

Those who have already achieved a grade C or above at these subjects will be unaffected.

And in a detail which may indicate the proposed return of the O-level, supporting notes mention GCSE grades but the ministerial statement talks only about a "good pass".

For those with near-miss D grades, there is an expectation pupils will re-take to get to a C grade or higher.

For those who have weaker skills, there will be other tests or lessons which might not lead to a qualification.

The plans are underpinned by a funding change.

"Rather than funding per qualification, we will fund institutions 'per student'," says the ministerial statement.

As an interim measure, and recognising the concerns of more academic schools, the statement promises a three-year guarantee of no cuts in per-student funding for individual institutions.

But Labour's education spokesman, Stephen Twigg, accused the government of watering down the plans to raise the participation age in education and training.

In another written ministerial statement, Mr Gove said employers will not be expected to check on whether their teenage staff are fulfilling training requirements.

This will be reviewed - but will not be part of the first wave of implementation in 2013, when the leaving age is raised to 17.

The statement says it follows concerns employers might be deterred from employing teenagers if it meant extra duties and the risk of sanctions.

The Department for Education said enforcement remained the responsibility of local authorities.

Mr Twigg said the change represented "another blow for young people".

"If the government is serious about raising the age at which young people leave education, they should implement the measures included in the legislation Labour introduced such as requiring employers to check a young person is enrolled on a course before employing them and arrange work to fit round education or training."

Under the proposals, the process of raising the compulsory age for education and training to 18 will be completed in 2015.

It will address the high drop-out rate at the age of 16 - a measure in which England's school system has lagged behind many other industrial countries.

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English and maths 'to be taught up to 18'

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By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent Pupils in England who fail to achieve at least a C grade at GCSE in English and maths will have to carry on taking the subjects to the age of 18, the government has announced.

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2: Evaluate and challenge my beliefs: see the benefits of students achieving their English and maths in order to inspire them

Witnessing students progression into higher ed and employment will intrinsically motivate me to agree that pushing English and maths IS a good idea

3: inspire and motivate, raise aspirations

Embed English and Maths into lessons in an innovative way that relates to the subject specialism (Art) I.e interesting ways of analysing artist work,

13- motivate leaners to develop skills to progress

Ensure learners are aware that for progression into the industry requires these maths and English quals (extrinsic motivation)

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Benefits:

May lead to Social Mobility - Social Mobility refers to the shift in an individuals social status that may then impact generationally.

Employers are requesting these qualifications- having them may decrease the unemployment rate and have a domino effect on crime rates.

Limitations:

Does not take into consideration learners future aspirations, job goals.

Less understanding of learners needs, impacts mental health. Achieving these qualifications can be a confidence boost to a young learner who previously had low self esteem regarding education and aspirations.

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Since 2014 the percentage of learners achieving GCSE English has increased by 17%

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Intention was to tackle youth unemployment and satisfy the increasing demand from employers for young learners to have achieved their Level 2 English and Maths with the idea that this will lead to a greater social mobility.

Why was this policy introduced in September 2014?

In 2014 statistics stated '40% of pupils do not get GCSE grades A* to C in English and maths by age 16. Worse still, 90% of those who don’t reach this basic standard by 16, don’t achieve it by age 19.' (GOV.UK)

'Two in five employers were not satisfied with literacy levels among school leavers.' (CBI survey,2013)

'GCSEs in England are changing to ensure that young people have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the 21st Century' (GOV.UK)

'More than 40,000 youngsters a year reach 19 without having had any further lessons in English, after failing the subject at 16, for maths, the figure is more than 60,000 each year. (Department of Education,2013)

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Table shows the least socially mobile area in England-

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Social Capital: This term refers to the connections, acquaintances and external support that middle class parents can provide their children to become successful.

Here in Scunthorpe we are part of what is known as a 'Social Mobility Cold Spot', which means we see disadvantaged families living in poverty, with a minimal upward social mobility. This can lead to emotional strain i.e low motivation, low aspiration and low confidence.

Low income families also are not supported through the private education sector, therefore a child from a high income background typical has access to more support and a better education to succeed (achieve the A*-C at 16)

According to the State of the Nation report, in 2019, people
from working class backgrounds in professional jobs earned about £6,000 less than their more privileged counterparts in professional jobs.

"Education remains the key driver of the gap in adult earnings between sons from disadvantaged and affluent families in parts of England where the pay gap is smaller and inequality is lower. Education explains almost all of the earnings difference in those places. In other words, disadvantaged sons earn less than sons from richer families because they have lower levels of educational attainment" (The Long Shadow of Deprivation, 2020, p.3)

Impact on young learners:

-Many learners entering the cycle of failing and re-sitting their Maths and English GCSE report similar feelings of low self-esteem, low motivation, embarrassment and disappointment.

-Falling behind their peers both academically and socially.

'You feel like there's something wrong with you. I'm 18, and I'm being put into a class with 15-year-olds' (BBC, 2017)

Finding staff with the time to cover re-sits

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I believe myself to be a Individual Pragmatist, supporting education that is;

-Realistic
-Personalised- individuals not just a number
-Supportive
-Develops both wider skills as well as subject specialist
-Differentiated, equal and inclusive

HOWEVER

This policy I believe supports Instrumentalism and Social Cohesion as it supports the ideology that education is only important if it contributes to the economy.

Biesta 'What is Education for?' suggests that 'the point of education is not that students learn' but that 'the point of education is that students learn something, that they learn it for a reason, and that they learn it from someone.' (Biesta, 2015)

Qualification- This refers to the knowledge, skills and behaviours
that a learner may obtain. This also includes social constructs, who you know and connections that may lead to opportunities.

Subjectification-  This refers to the awareness a learner has to navigate how to achieve something, whether that be moving from one grade to another, how you respond to authority or your desire to listen and self-motivate.

Socialisation- Socialisation links to instrumentalist philosophy and relates to cultural, economic and social norms.

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If students enter my sixth form college and have not achieved their level 2 English or Maths, they are expected to do the following;

Re-sit in the November if they were close to achieving in year 11.

Re-sit the full year if not close, which in turn will hold them back a year

In some circumstances learners can be accepted onto for example CTEC Photography, as it would not be possible to put them on an A Level programme without these qualifications

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What is Education For? On Good Education, Teacher Judgement, and Educational Professionalism, Biesta 2015

The pupils stuck in a cycle of maths and English resits

By Nick Raikes and James Longman,2017