‘Stress' can't be an excuse for letting children off exams
The National Curriculum for England is a relatively recent construct introduced in 1988 by the Thatcher government. Subsequent education ministers have reviewed it and tinkered with its contents and provisions.
The Tories in 1995 sought to reduce the volume of statutory content and change methods of assessment. The Blair government announced another overhaul, particularly at primary level, to allow more time to be spent on the core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science. Further changes were introduced in Sept 2008 and again by Michael Gove in the Coalition in 2013.
Another review is under way. An interim report published this week proposes to reduce pressures on pupils by limiting their exposure to exams. It said that 'intensive, high-stakes' assessments were having an impact on their 'wellbeing'.
Polling found 41 per cent of last year's GCSE cohort found it difficult, while 10 per cent found it 'very difficult', to cope with exam stress.
What has been apparent since the pandemic wrought such havoc with the education of a cohort of children is that their ability to deal with the normal vicissitudes of life has been constrained.
Is it really a good idea to compound this tendency by continually making things easier? The review said that it 'would not fundamentally change the number of subjects that students study or are assessed in at GCSE.'
But the direction of travel is to make life less stressful whereas it should be about giving pupils the necessary resilience to deal with the inevitable knocks that growing up entails. A curriculum fit for the modern world, which is what the Government wants to see, needs to address that above all else.
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