Government drops diploma plans but opts for IGCSEs

Diplomas that were written by Labour to reinstate GCSEs and A-levels have been dropped, the Government voiced yesterday.

The Department for Education (DofE) additionally voiced state schools would be means to learn ubiquitous GCSEs (IGCSEs) in core subjects such as English and maths from September. Education Secretary Michael Gove pronounced the Government longed for to give schools larger leisure over the education they offered.

"Academic" diplomas in humanities, scholarship and languages were due to be introduced in Sep 2011. The Conservatives creatively mooted the thought of scrapping the 3 education last year. Business leaders additionally formerly lifted concerns about the subject-based diplomas, that mix work experience with educational learning.

IGCSEs are lucky by most in isolation schools that hold they are tougher education than normal GCSEs. A series of top-performing secondaries have voiced an seductiveness in charity these exams, the DfE said. The prior supervision last year deserted an focus by the Cambridge International Examinations house for a range of IGCSEs to be authorised in state delegate schools, observant the education unsuccessful to encounter the mandate of the curriculum.

Schools apportion Nick Gibb said: "We will persevere the efforts to creation certain the existent education are rigorous, severe and scrupulously hope for immature people for life, work and study."

But Dr John Dunford, ubiquitous cabinet member of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: "Introducing IGCSEs some-more at large will enlarge doubt for parents, pupils, employers and the public. Exams are not products on a store shelf. They establish immature peoples futures and should not be theme to marketplace pressures."