The government has recently announced it intends to scrap GCSE and A Level qualifications in ICT.
Schools Minister Nick Gibb is believed to have summoned the British Computing Society (BCS) to fight to save the qualifications, before taking his final decision.
The decision has come as a shock for many in schools, as enrolments on the qualifications have increased over 2000%. Over 111,000 pupils took a GCSE in ICT last year, while only 35,000 studied Computer Science. The government have justified the decision by stating ICT and Computer Science qualifications at GCSE and A Level occupy a “similar qualification space”.
The consultation document that included the decision reads: “The reformed computer science GCSE and A-levels provide a strong foundation for further academic and vocational study and for employment. Ministers have therefore taken the decision not to approve two GCSEs and A-levels in a similar qualification space. The IT GCSE and IT A-level will not be redeveloped.”
From 2017, pupils will no longer study GCSE or A Level ICT qualifications, and will only have the option to study vocational qualifications in the area. Many teachers have reacted negatively to this news, accusing the government of “depriving…students the chance to receive a qualification that contained a range of vital skills.” Many have noted the vast differences in ICT and Computer Science qualifications; the former focuses on using computers, and their software systems and the internet, to problem solve and achieve day-to-day goals; these skills are vital for working in a business environment. Computer Science focuses on computer design and programming.
While this will clearly have an impact on pupils who were expected to sit these qualifications, it opens the gateway to include more vocational qualifications in your curriculum. Typically-academic GCSE and A Level qualifications often don’t suit the learning styles of many young people, and vocational qualifications in ICT can offer a more hands-on approach to learning. The removal of GCSE and A Level ICT qualifications doesn’t necessarily mean learners won’t have the opportunity to study ICT; it’s a chance to explore the vocational options available in this space.
Level 2 qualifications in IT User Skills are an ideal alternative to introduce your pupils to ICT and provide all of the essential skills needed for your pupils to be technically-savvy in an ever-increasingly digital world. Including units in IT systems, database software, specialist software, using email and using mobile IT devices, these qualifications prepare your learners not only with vital IT skills, but for further study or employment in the ICT sector.
These qualifications, suitable at a school level, can then lead onto higher-level study – for example the NCFE Level 3 Certificate or Diploma in ICT Systems and Principles, or the upcoming Level 4 qualifications in Professional Competence for IT & Telecoms Professionals. These can set learners on the right track to a successful career in ICT. We also have a V Cert in Computer Technology designed to improve a pupil’s digital literacy and show them how to write computer programmes. This qualification, however, will no longer carry performance points after next year. It appears the government are giving schools and pupils the opportunity to study an academic Computer Science or Computing qualification but are making vocational qualifications in the subject harder to study, and vice versa with ICT. This could be a problem, with the content of the qualifications supporting each other.
Recognising the importance of ICT qualifications to pupils at school-age and beyond is vital; while there are vocational alternatives to the GCSE and A Level qualifications, the government need to approve the quality of these with performance points, funding and support. Computer Science may not be the most suitable qualification to prepare young people with vital business skills, so government recognition for these credible alternatives is essential. If a learner has the opportunity to study a vocational qualification in ICT, the option should also be there for Computing or Computer Science.
What do you think of the government’s decision to cancel the GCSE and A Level ICT qualifications? How will this impact on your centre? Are you looking at alternatives?
