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Member of Parliament for Bradford East@DavidWardMP on Twitter and Facebook |
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David Ward MP <>
Ward hits out at O-level plans
June 21, 2012 4:35 PM
Bradford MP and Member of the Education Select Committee, David Ward, has slammed the Education Secretary's plans to scrap GCSEs in favour of a two-tier system of GCE's and O-level qualifications.
Commenting David Ward said:
"The Education Secretary is dangerously fixated on a fantasy. He wants to return Britain to "golden age" of education that never really existed. Following his previous announcements on rote learning, I wouldn't be surprised if chalk boards and compulsory fountain pens are next in the pipeline.
"He needs to realise that the world has moved on. His proposal for a two tier system risks undermining decades of progress on fairness and social inclusion in schools. And the last thing our education system needs now is yet more disruptive upheaval, distracting teachers' attention away from where it needs to be - on driving up standards for every child.
"Rather than taking us back to an age when most children started their adult life saddled with qualifications that were seen as second rate, the Education Secretary would be better off focussing his attention on giving teachers the freedom and resources they need to stretch all pupils and creating a culture of high expectations in every school."