Closed petition Scrap national exams for Key Stage 4 permanently
National exams at ages 15/16 are no longer necessary because it’s compulsory to stay in full- or part-time education until 18, or start an apprenticeship/traineeship. This makes GCSEs defunct, and they should be scrapped and replaced with teacher assessment, ending unnecessary pressure on students.
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As was demonstrated in 2020 when GCSEs were cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic, educators are able to make their own assessments of appropriate grades for pupils aged 16-18 without the need for a national exam. Scrapping GCSEs should allow pupils in Key Stage 4 to have a more rounded education not defined by final exams, remove pressure on teenagers at a vulnerable stage of development and eliminate the cost and bureaucracy GCSEs unnecessarily burden schools with.
This petition is closed All petitions run for 6 months