Home / IT qualification to be scrapped at GCSE and A-level
IT qualification to be scrapped at GCSE and A-level
EB News: 04/11/2015 - 11:43
The subject was one of 73 that were identified as needing reforms, and a Department for Education (DfE) consultation document has confirmed that the IT qualification will not be redeveloped.
The move is part of the government’s push for more academically challenging subjects and follows a large rise in pupils studying computer science, which the DfE believes gives pupils a stronger foundation for further study and employment.
The DfE release said: “The reformed computer science GCSE and A levels provide a strong foundation for further academic and vocational study and for employment.
“Students will develop the computational thinking skills needed for today’s economy – including coding and important information technology topics such as cyber security, networking and data storage.
“It is right that schools continue to focus on the digital knowledge that will best prepare young people for further study and employment.
“Ministers have therefore taken the decision not to approve two GCSEs and A levels in a similar qualification space.
“The IT GCSE and IT A level will not be redeveloped.”
Underpinning the training will be a new expectation set out in the SEND Code of Practice, confirming that all staff in every nursery, school and college should receive training on SEND and inclusion.
A new report released by the Education Policy Institute and Sync has warned that schools and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) could be making critical technology decisions without proper guidance.
Colleges and universities in Scotland will be expected to meet additional 'fair work' criteria in areas such as workplace inequalities and the use of zero hours contracts.
The campaign aims to tackle the worrying decline in reading for pleasure, with reading rates among young people dropping to its lowest level since 2005,