Latest news with #EducationRecord
Scottish Sun
07-05-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
Major change to GCSE results day to be trialled this summer with thousands to get results in VERY modern way
The change should 'reduce administrative burdens on schools' APPY RESULT Major change to GCSE results day to be trialled this summer with thousands to get results in VERY modern way TENS of thousands of GCSE pupils will receive their results in a very modern way this summer. A pilot to scrap the usual paper certificates is being tried in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands ahead of a planned nationwide rollout. 2 The app could help reduce admin work for thousands of teachers Credit: Getty 2 Students receiving their GCSEs this summer will see a big change Credit: Getty Images - Getty The trial will affect 95,000 teenagers this year who will get their grades on the new Education Record app. Education Minister Stephen Morgan said: 'It is high time exam records were brought into the 21st century, and this pilot will allow schools and colleges to focus on what they do best: teaching the next generation rather than being bogged down in bureaucracy. 'This government is slashing red tape through our Plan for Change to drive growth, cut admin for teachers and give tens of thousands of young people more opportunities to get on in skilled careers.' Hathershaw College school has been testing the app since last spring and gave it a thumbs up. Principal Mark Giles said: 'We believe this will reduce administrative burdens on schools, and in the future could also be utilised by parents of younger children to support transition from primary to secondary school.' This comes as academic Becky Francis unveiled her review of the national curriculum tasked by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, earlier this year. Her report suggests slashing the amount of 'intensive, high stakes assessment' that is taking a toll on pupils' wellbeing. It highlights how British teenagers are the most tested in the western world, with Year 11s sitting up to 31 hours of papers. While exams force pupils to 'rote learn facts', she said shifting to more coursework could provide better assessments. Schools Minister Nick Gibb says he's optimistic about the GCSE results as students face 'shock' over grades Tory Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott last night slammed the proposals as 'dumbing down school standards'. She said: 'In moving away from examinations and towards coursework, qualifications will be less rigorous and less credible.' Ms Francis also said the curriculum needs to 'increase diversity in representation' and cited reports calling for more ethnic minority authors to be included. One of the papers that influenced the review was a study called Lit in Colour that bemoaned an education system where 'the literature deemed most worthy of study disproportionately represents a whiteness in a multiracial society.' Ms Francis' review said: 'Pupils told us that not being able to see themselves in the content they learn, or encountering negative portrayals, can be disempowering and demotivating, a point supported by wider evidence.' But it sparked fears of woke teachers foisting their views on young kids in the classroom. Tory MP Nick Timothy said: 'Our schools should absolutely promote tolerance and mutual understanding. 'But we must be very careful to ensure this is not exploited by those who wish to promote divisive identity politics, teaching children to be ashamed of their country and its heritage. Ms Francis - an academic tasked by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson with carrying out the review - also suggested adapting the curriculum to teach kids about artificial intelligence. Her polling also showed parents wished their children had spent more time learning about finances and budgeting. Ms Phillipson said: "I welcome the important progress Becky Francis and her expert review are making to drive forward work to take the curriculum into the modern era and help deliver on the government's Plan for Change."
The Sun
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Major change to GCSE results day to be trialled this summer with thousands to get marks in VERY modern way
TENS of thousands of GCSE pupils will receive their results in a very modern way this summer. A pilot to scrap the usual paper certificates is being tried in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands ahead of a planned nationwide rollout. 2 2 The trial will affect 95,000 teenagers this year who will get their grades on the new Education Record app. Education Minister Stephen Morgan said: 'It is high time exam records were brought into the 21st century, and this pilot will allow schools and colleges to focus on what they do best: teaching the next generation rather than being bogged down in bureaucracy. 'This government is slashing red tape through our Plan for Change to drive growth, cut admin for teachers and give tens of thousands of young people more opportunities to get on in skilled careers.' Hathershaw College school has been testing the app since last spring and gave it a thumbs up. Principal Mark Giles said: 'We believe this will reduce administrative burdens on schools, and in the future could also be utilised by parents of younger children to support transition from primary to secondary school.' This comes as academic Becky Francis unveiled her review of the national curriculum tasked by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, earlier this year. Her report suggests slashing the amount of 'intensive, high stakes assessment' that is taking a toll on pupils' wellbeing. It highlights how British teenagers are the most tested in the western world, with Year 11s sitting up to 31 hours of papers. While exams force pupils to 'rote learn facts', she said shifting to more coursework could provide better assessments. Schools Minister Nick Gibb says he's optimistic about the GCSE results as students face 'shock' over grades Tory Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott last night slammed the proposals as 'dumbing down school standards'. She said: 'In moving away from examinations and towards coursework, qualifications will be less rigorous and less credible.' Ms Francis also said the curriculum needs to 'increase diversity in representation' and cited reports calling for more ethnic minority authors to be included. One of the papers that influenced the review was a study called Lit in Colour that bemoaned an education system where 'the literature deemed most worthy of study disproportionately represents a whiteness in a multiracial society.' Ms Francis' review said: 'Pupils told us that not being able to see themselves in the content they learn, or encountering negative portrayals, can be disempowering and demotivating, a point supported by wider evidence.' But it sparked fears of woke teachers foisting their views on young kids in the classroom. Tory MP Nick Timothy said: 'Our schools should absolutely promote tolerance and mutual understanding. 'But we must be very careful to ensure this is not exploited by those who wish to promote divisive identity politics, teaching children to be ashamed of their country and its heritage. Ms Francis - an academic tasked by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson with carrying out the review - also suggested adapting the curriculum to teach kids about artificial intelligence. Her polling also showed parents wished their children had spent more time learning about finances and budgeting. Ms Phillipson said: "I welcome the important progress Becky Francis and her expert review are making to drive forward work to take the curriculum into the modern era and help deliver on the government's Plan for Change."
Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Thousands of students to get their GCSE exam results via a digital app this summer
Schools Minister Stephen Morgan said the new Education Record app would 'bring exam results into the 21st century' and branded school record keeping as 'horribly out of date' Thousands of students will find out their GCSE exam results via a digital app this summer. Schools Minister Stephen Morgan said a pilot of the new Education Record app would "bring exam results into the 21st century'. He branded current school record keeping as 'horribly out of date' and signalled his plans to digitise further. In a sign of Labour 's drive to expand tech in the education sector, he left the door open to teachers' school reports or termly assessment grades being included in the app in the future. Asked if they would be, Mr Morgan said: 'Through the pilot, we will learn the benefits of the current programme, but also learn lessons for future development. The government's been really clear in its Plan for Change that we want to use technology to modernise public services and to grow the economy. So I'm open to ideas on what the future holds for this.' Ministers have encouraged the use of artificial intelligence in schools to aid teachers in planning lessons or doing other admin tasks. But they face calls to go further including pledging investment to digitise the exam system, with tests still largely done via pen and paper. This summer's pilot will see more than 95,000 young people in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands receive their results digitally, with a national rollout to follow. Youngsters will be able to use the app when applying for further education, apprenticeships or employment, saving them the time and stress of scrabbling around for documents. The government estimates the move could save schools and colleges up to £30million per year once the full roll out is complete, enough money to pay the salaries of more than 600 new teachers in further education. Speaking to the Mirror, Mr Morgan said: 'We're bringing exam results into the 21st century. I think record keeping in our schools is horribly out of date. Paper files are often stored in dusty old cabinets, creating a sort of needless admin for teachers and school support staff and, frankly, wasting public resources. "I took my GCSE results when the internet was relatively new, long before smartphones allowed access to information at your fingertips. And of course, that just simply isn't the case for children and young people anymore, nor does it reflect the kind of work that they will be going into in the digital systems that are available, and that's why this new app is going to capture qualifications in one place.' The education minister, who was speaking on a visit to Hathershaw College in Oldham, which has been trialing the app, said the key benefit teachers and students noted was 'how simple the technology is'. 'I think it reduces some of the stress, but also sort of just improves the transition from school and college,' he added. 'I think that's a really exciting thing, so that children can focus on what they need to do, which is about planning their future careers.' Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the app was a 'positive step forward'. 'Up until now, the development of education technology has tended to take place in a frustratingly piecemeal fashion – essentially led by the market rather than via a cohesive national approach. 'We would like to see a much more strategic vision. This should extend to exams themselves which continue to be largely conducted via pen and paper, creating a massive burden in terms of secure storage and transportation of papers and scripts. A digital exam system would improve matters for everyone involved and we urge the government to invest in creating the infrastructure schools and colleges need to make this a reality.'
