EBacc Silliness

Fortunately, most people will have missed the introduction of the English Baccalaureate that arrived last week with the publication of the 2010 Schools' League Tables by the Government. I say fortunately because the measure has been rushed into action and is plainly nonsensical as the following statement from HMC makes clear.

Mike Buchanan

MANY HMC STUDENTS MISS "HALF-BAKED" BACC

Many of England's most academically successful schools will have no candidates achieving the new English Baccalaureate in the 2010 Government performance tables, published this week, because of the arbitrary and narrowly prescriptive way it has been defined.

A survey of more than half the 250 schools in the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) found that three-quarters (75.6%) of candidates have gained the requisite GCSE grades in English, maths, two science subjects, a foreign or classical language and a humanities subject.

But because of the arbitrary exclusion of one examination board's IGCSE (International GCSE) maths qualification, and the requirement that candidates taking separate sciences must enter all three and pass two, many schools will be shown as having no students qualifying for the new EBacc. The new benchmark has also been criticised by HMC heads for being too prescriptive and for excluding creative subjects.

And evidence of its having been devised in haste - with the inclusion of a subject (Ancient History) which does not issue its first results until 2011, at the expense of one (Classical Civilisation) which is taken by many candidates - seriously undermines its credibility.

Christopher Ray, High Master of Manchester Grammar School and chairman of HMC's academic policy committee, said today: "At MGS, we believe that every boy at MGS receives the rounded education which is the Government's aspiration. But none will gain the EBAcc, because they all entered, and passed, typically with A* or A grades, the Edexcel IGCSE maths exam. This absurd situation will be replicated in most HMC schools.

"Independent schools have long been in favour of a core GCSE curriculum entitlement of English, maths, a modern foreign language, science, a humanities and a creative subject. It is part of our DNA, something which Michael Gove, like Labour's Lord Adonis before him, wants us to share. But he appears not to understand what makes schools like ours successful.

"The EBacc is a half-baked initiative. The narrow specifications the Government has drawn simply fail to recognise the obvious success of most students in our schools.

"The recent White Paper promised less ‘unnecessary prescription' and schools having greater control over what is taught. But the current English Baccalaureate is both narrowly and badly prescriptive. Its definition of humanities as history and geography only excludes some subjects we would generally regard as central. In particular, the failure to include English literature in any category is woeful and bizarre.

 "As for the inclusion of GCSE Ancient History, for which there were no examination results last year, at the expense of Classical Civilisation, this betrays a doctrinaire and dangerous ignorance of actual practice in schools.

"Although the general principle is a laudable one, the rushed introduction of the EBacc does not sit easily with the government's intentions of greater partnership with schools and trusting and respecting the professionals."

The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, established in 1869, is the oldest and largest (in pupil numbers) of the UK independent schools' associations. Its 250 members include most of the largest and most successful senior co-educational, boys' and girls' schools and educate more than 190,000 children.