Tony Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 If you thought that exams were getting easier and that qualifications aren';t worth the paper they are written on you're not going to like this. An investigation has shown that the people who set and mark the exams have been holding seminars where they instruct teachers on how their pupils can cheat their exams to get the best scores... and schools are paying for this advice! From The Telegraph Exam boards: Michael Gove orders inquiry over cheating revelations Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, has called for a fundamental reform of the exams system after an investigation disclosed that exam boards gave teachers secret advice on how to improve their GCSE and A-level results. By Holly Watt, Claire Newell, Robert Winnett and Graeme Paton Mr Gove has ordered an official inquiry into the exam system after an undercover investigation by The Daily Telegraph exposed the questionable practice. It found teachers are paying up to £230 a day to attend seminars with chief examiners during which they are advised on exam questions and the exact wording that pupils should use to obtain higher marks. The advice appears to go far beyond the standard “guidance” and opens exam boards to accusations that they are undermining the purpose of exam syllabuses by encouraging “teaching to the test”. After being presented with details of The Daily Telegraph’s investigation, Mr Gove demanded Ofqual, the exam regulator, must report back with its findings before Christmas. Two examiners have been suspended by the exam board WJEC, although it insists the claims were due to a misunderstanding of its advice. There's more (A GCSE test set by Edexcel, one of Britain’s biggest exam boards, has so little content that its chief examiner cannot believe it was approved by the Government’s official regulators) but that should get you going for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna B Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 This has always happened to some extent hasn't it. Along with cramming and revising for exams. We were also told what was likely to come up in the exam. This was 50 years ago. I can remember being taught how to answer questions to get the best marks. Isn't that what teachers are supposed to do, or am I missing the point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnvqsos Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 There is a difference between guidance and revelation of actual questions and specific topics.Examiners have the cheek to write text books backed by the exam board who do the publishing,and then set the questions based on the text.There is a significant conflict of interest yet exam boards cover up any whistle-blowing as I found to my cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love_rat Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 teachers jobs are to get people through their exams and get the highest grades possible. The school then does better in the league tables Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vague_Boy Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 If you thought that exams were getting easier and that qualifications aren't worth the paper they are written on you're not going to like this. I don't see why, it vindicates everything I've ever thought about the modern education system. Meanwhile, every year China produces seven million highly motivated English speaking graduates. And we produce ever more moronic students init? Nowahmean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longcol Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 I don't see why, it vindicates everything I've ever thought about the modern education system. Meanwhile, every year China produces seven million highly motivated English speaking graduates. And we produce ever more moronic students init? Nowahmean? When I was at school 40 years ago we used to do tests on past papers and teachers used to try to "spot" questions which were likely to come up. Can't see much has changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hard2miss Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 My son is 13 and at school they are watching a lot of films because he says his groups has done all their course work and there is nothing for them to do. Needless to say he is doing well at school and is in the top groups for most lessons. But what I want to know is WHY ? All I can make out is that if you reach your targets there is nothing else to help you progress and you must then sit back while the others play catch up. When I was at school it seems that the work was much harder and seem to have been taught a lot more if the stuff in my two eldest have in their heads after leaving is anything to go by, and they both also did well in their schooling and were up there in the top work groups. It appears that the bar has been lowered and that it stays low untill everyone has jumped it which I find is fundimentally wrong. If you reach the one level then you should be encouraged to step up to the next and not to sit on your arse until the next starting pistol goes off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upinwath Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 But what I want to know is WHY ? All I can make out is that if you reach your targets there is nothing else to help you progress and you must then sit back while the others play catch up.: Socialism, dear lady. Bright kids are held back in case it makes the thickos look bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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