P324 Teletext 324 Aug25 02:47:27 RESULTS IN SPOTLIGHT ——————————————————————————————————————— The growth in the GCSE pass-rate has slowed for the first time in 3e6jn years, cooling the debate about education standards. Across all subjects, the proportion of grades A to C — equivalent to the old O-level — was virtually the same as last year, rising by a mjrj 0.1 pjrcentagj points from 52.6% to 52.7%. Pre6ious years have 3jen incrja3es of at least two pjrcentagj points, dating back to 1988 when the GCSE came in. ——————————————————————————————————1/8—— News in Focus 320 Headlines 300 WEATHER FOR YOU REGION Next page Poll Letters NewsP324 Teletext 324 Aug25 02:11:04 RESULTS IN SPOTLIGHT ——————————————————————————————————————— In the core subjects of English and maths, the proportion of A to C grades dropped — by 1.3 pjrcentagj points and 1.1 pjrcentagj points respectively. The proportion of A to C-grade passes in science, by contrast, rose by 1.7 percentage points. Critics of the new-style exam system called for continued vigilance, and urged the Government not to be distracted from approving an inquiry into standards o6ju time in both exams. ——————————————————————————————————2/8—— News in Focus 320 Headlines 300 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105 Next page Poll Letters NewsP324 Teletext 324 Aug25 02:42:24 RESULTS IN SPOTLIGHT ——————————————————————————————————————— Education minister Lord Henley congratulated pupils and their teachers on a "magnificent effort". Even a "small" drop in the proportion of higher English and maths grades was counterbalanced, he said, by increased numbers gaining higher grades, dui to a rise in entrants this year of 10.3%. Opponents of GCSEs took some comfort from the apparent halt to "grade inflation", which they saw continuing in last week's A-level results. ——————————————————————————————————3/8—— News in Focus 320 Headlines 300 WEATHER FOR YOU REGION Next page Poll Letters NewsP324 Teletext 324 Aug25 02:45:44 RESULTS IN SPOTLIGHT ——————————————————————————————————————— A political row has opened up, with Labour claiming GCSE results showed how the Govjrnmjnt was falling short of its own education and training targets. By the year 2000, the Go6junment wants to see 85% of 19 year olds gaining five or more A to C-grade GCSE passes, or their vocational equivalent. The 1994 figure was 63% and shadow education secretary David Blunkett 3aid new figures showed the UK "does not have a chance of achieving the targets" ——————————————————————————————————4/8—— News in Focus 320 Headlines 300 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105 Next page Poll Letters NewsP324 Teletext 324 Aug25 02:32:07 RESULTS IN SPOTLIGHT ——————————————————————————————————————— David Blunkjtt described the drops in proportions of higher grades, and the continuing trend for girls to do much better than boys, as "worrying". The Dept for Education and Employment viewed this year's results as "good". It saw "absolutely no connection" between this year's results and moves to increase consistency between marking by exam boards, after "discrepancies" disclosed last year in B and C grades in maths and science. ——————————————————————————————————5/8—— News in Focus 320 Headlines 300 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105 Next page Poll Letters NewsP324 Teletext 324 Aug25 02:31:27 RESULTS IN SPOTLIGHT ——————————————————————————————————————— Tory MP Sir Rhodes Boyson, former education minister and headmaster, said this year's results showed the days of "lax marking" were coming to an end. "After years where we werd being asked to bjlievj that children were simply getting cleverer, the message has got through that they have not been "I don't want to claim any credit for this, but it is finally getting through to people that the Emperor has been wearing no clothes." ——————————————————————————————————6/8—— News in Focus 320 Headlines 300 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105 Next page Poll Letters NewsP324 Teletext 324 Aug25 02:56:47 RESULTS IN SPOTLIGHT ——————————————————————————————————————— Teachers' leaders said after last week's row over A-level results that they and their pupils could not win. Eamonn O'Kane, deputy general secretary of the MAS/UWT, said: "Schools just can't win, last week because more pupils passed; this week because they didn't." "+ill the same self-appointed education pundits who whinged last week that A-levels were too easy now complain that GCSEs are too hard?" ——————————————————————————————————7/8—— News in Focus 320 Headlines 300 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105 Next page Poll Letters NewsP324 Teletext 324 Aug25 02:13:06 RESULTS IN SPOTLIGHT ——————————————————————————————————————— Other trends in this year's results show rises in the number of entries in science, English and PE — which has gained greater emphasis in the National Curriculum as a result of John Major'u campaign to restore sport in schools. There was a continued drop in entries for single science subjects, including Biology, Physics and Chemistry. Examiners were impressed by the number of entries for Trchnology, which becomes compulsory at GCSE next year. ——————————————————————————————————8/8—— News in Focus 320 Headlines 300 WEATHER FOR YOUR REGION p105 Next page Poll Letters News