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Exams Should Not Define the Curriculum

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Exams Should Not Define the Curriculum Achieve Spring 2012 Welcome to Achieve Learning comes first: shifting the focus from A level reform: what’s happening? The latest news from Cambridge Assessment, examining to the curriculum Find out about our HE engagement and the University’s international exams group. Debate tackles the importance of curriculum coherence. research programmes. see below, continued page 3 see pages 5 and 6 Exams should not define the curriculum “An excessive focus on exams and examining has been at the expense of coherence and curriculum,” says head of international exams group. Speaking at Cambridge Assessment’s debate on ‘Learning comes first: shifting the focus from examining to the curriculum’ on 31 January, Group Chief Executive, Simon Lebus, continued: “We should think of education as an ecosystem, and of course this ecosystem will be damaged if these major elements fall out of balance.” Simon was clear that “exams can only sample the key concepts and body of knowledge associated with a subject, and do not constitute its totality”. He went on to say that: “A curriculum’s legitimacy and relevance are firmly grounded in local conditions but we live in an age where the curriculum needs also to look to best “We should think international practice and to cultivate an awareness in of education as an students of the impact of globalisation.” ecosystem, and of The solution to shifting the focus back from exams to course this ecosystem the curriculum – in particular in relation to A levels – is to re-connect exam boards and Higher Education (HE) said will be damaged if Mr Lebus. OCR, Cambridge Assessment’s UK exam board, these major elements is currently running nine subject consultative committees with some 242 representatives of HE and the learned and fall out of balance.” professional societies in relation to the next round of A Simon Lebus level change [see ‘A level reform: what’s happening?’ story on page 5]. Nansi Ellis, Head of Education Policy & Research, ATL; Richard Earp, Education & Skills Manager, National Grid; Dale Bassett, continued on page 3 Research Director, Reform; and Dr Graeme Atherton, Executive Director, Aimhigher, were among the panellists. Cambridge Assessment is a department of the University of Cambridge, and a not-for-profit organisation. www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk OM R Cambridge Teachers’ Conference VIEW F The 2012 Cambridge Teachers’ Conference will IEF R take place in Cambridge on 17–19 September. IN B S The theme of the conference, hosted by University of The Cambridge Teachers’ Conference offers a chance Cambridge International Examinations, is leadership. for teachers from Cambridge schools around the NEW There will be keynote speeches and workshops to world to collaborate on education issues, and explore what leadership means for principals, teachers share expertise to raise standards of teaching in and students, and what role schools can play as classrooms worldwide. leaders in their communities. Cambridge supports better English for doctors “Currently, doctors from outside the EU sit a rigorous letter published in The Daily Telegraph. Dr Milanovic’s international test to ensure they have a high standard letter was in response to a call for more English Richard Partington, Senior Tutor at Churchill of English. The NHS should be able to apply the same language skills testing of overseas doctors from the College, University of Cambridge. standards to staff from EU countries,” says Dr Mike presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons and the Milanovic, Chief Executive of Cambridge ESOL, in a Royal College of Physicians. Richard Partington, Senior Tutor at Churchill College, Tower of Babel University of Cambridge A recent survey found that Cambridge ESOL languages other than English they could use. A similar employees can use over 55 languages – well above the survey of 650 people in the European Parliament in A sojourn out of power characteristically makes politicians organisation’s expectations. The survey which took September found that 78 different languages could eager. So it came as no surprise when Michael Gove hit the place at the end of last year asked employees which be used. ground running. I take issue with a good deal of what he has said, and some of what he has done, but I have been delighted by the momentum that has quickly built around placing HE at the centre of A level provision, as the UK’s major post-16 examination is revised. There was a time when bashing A levels seemed to be approaching the status of a Cambridge fills global skills gap national sport. Thankfully, the introduction of both the A* grade and stretch and challenge has latterly taken the sting Two Cambridge qualifications have been recognised as appropriate preparation for out of a good deal of media criticism. And, while I remain students entering the global economy in reports emphasising international employers’ a tad worried that the baby might be chucked out with the demand for ‘global skills’. bathwater, I now think that we will probably see sensible change made to an examination that most know fulfils its brief. A level allows students to specialise without depriving Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives and Cambridge The second report, ‘Cultivating a Global Outlook for them of the opportunity to sustain breadth; it imparts a Pre-U Global Perspectives and Research (GPR) the Global Economy’, reveals that learning about global good deal of core knowledge, while also testing skills; if are highlighted in reports commissioned by the issues at school equips young people with the skills used appropriately, it permits admissions tutors to select British Council and Think Global, the Development they need for the best graduate careers. All teachers undergraduates fairly and effectively; it also provides a very Education Association. surveyed agreed that helping young people to think good indication of future academic potential. critically and creatively about global issues improves The first report, ‘The Global Skills Gap’, summarises their academic attainment. There is, I believe, an emerging consensus about how the results of an ICM poll of 500 UK business A level should be strengthened. We must retain – and leaders. Ninety three per cent of businesses think it Both Cambridge qualifications develop students’ ability universities should better utilise – AS level at the end of is important for schools to help young people think to think critically about a range of global issues where Year 12. But we should probably reduce re-sits, and there globally. Three-quarters of the business leaders there is always more than one point of view. is an argument for losing January units altogether. It would polled were worried that young people’s horizons also be excellent if the qualification could better test and are not broad enough to operate in a globalised and Global Perspectives schools around the world are reward technical fluency. But the thing that HE practitioners multicultural economy. encouraged to form links and offer their students a are especially interested in is that reform might reinforce global learning experience. the core knowledge that A level delivers, and which first- Anne Needham, Cambridge year undergraduates bring to the table. I have little doubt Pre-U GPR coordinator that university teachers will in principle wish to seize the at Walthamstow Hall, opportunity to re-engage with the school and college UK, says her students curriculum, and with examination. But I think this will need to work with Cambridge be at a strategic and structural level: I cannot envisage hard- Pre-U GPR students at pressed lecturers being able to make the time for assessment Eastchester High in the and marking on the frontline. Thus far, government thinking US every week via Skype. does not seem to have extended either to the detail of She said: “The course the process or the question of how academics will receive really lends itself to forging appropriate reward for spending time away from research. So international relationships I am delighted that OCR’s HE Fora have made an excellent and collaborative work. start at establishing dialogue with subject-specialists in What better way to gain universities, and hope that this will translate into our leading global perspectives, liven the progression by which discussion becomes change up the classroom and take and then a sustained relationship between exam boards, Cambridge Pre-U GPR students at Walthamstow Hall, UK, and Eastchester High School, students out of their often universities, and schools and colleges around the curriculum. US, work together via Skype. closeted world?” 2 Achieve Exams should not define the curriculum continued from page 1 u Addressing the issue of what makes a good education, Roger-Francois Gauthier, Inspector General for Spring 2012 Administration of National Education and Research in France, and Dr Nadia Touba, Project Director of Nile Egyptian Schools in Egypt, shared their lessons learned from overseas. u C AMBRIDGE Paul Pritchard, Chair of Governors at the JCB Academy, Andrew Hutchinson OBE, Executive Principal at the Parkside Federation in Cambridge, and Dr Stephen Spurr, Headmaster of Westminster School, gave insights A into the different types of learning programmes. The SSESSMENT consensus was that assessment should not over- determine what is taught. Finally, Jon Coles, former Director General for Education Standards and now Chief Executive of United Church Schools Trust/United Learning Trust, warned of the increasing range of tactics used for raising attainment and called for moral courage to address the issues. More than 150 people attended and over 700 more watched a live stream of the event online. Paul Pritchard, Chair of Governors at the JCB Academy. To view films or download the presentations and podcasts from the event, visit: www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk Australia accepts Cambridge English for student visas Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) is now accepting scores for Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) for student visas, alongside IELTS – another exam developed by Cambridge ESOL.
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