{"id":53782,"date":"2015-02-12T11:20:28","date_gmt":"2015-02-12T11:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=b6d0135e4c1003ef9caf8f6d9d94eef0"},"modified":"2015-02-12T11:20:28","modified_gmt":"2015-02-12T11:20:28","slug":"press-release-details-of-reformed-gcses-and-a-levels-announced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=53782","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Details of reformed GCSEs and A levels announced"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"govspeak\">\n<p>New <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr> content backed by experts and designed to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain has been published today (12 February 2015).<\/p>\n<p>The government has already reformed a number of qualifications to provide pupils with the knowledge and understanding that employers and universities demand.<\/p>\n<p>Today, the final content for <abbr title=\"General Certificates of Secondary Education\">GCSEs<\/abbr> in: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/gcse-citizenship-studies\">citizenship studies<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/gcse-drama\">drama<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/gcse-food-preparation-and-nutrition\">food preparation and nutrition<\/a><\/li>\n<li>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/gcse-religious-studies\">religious studies<\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>along with A levels in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/gce-as-and-a-level-drama-and-theatre\">drama and theatre<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/gce-as-and-a-level-religious-studies\">religious studies<\/a> are published.<\/p>\n<p>The key changes to the reformed qualifications are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a citizenship studies <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr> which will require students to develop more detailed knowledge of citizenship, including knowledge of democracy and government, the legal system, society and the public finances. Students will be required to undertake at least 1 in-depth, critical investigation leading to a campaign or other similar activity<\/li>\n<li>new religious studies (<abbr title=\"religious studies\">RS<\/abbr>) qualifications which will provide students with a broader and deeper knowledge of religion<\/li>\n<li>in <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr> <abbr title=\"religious studies\">RS<\/abbr> students will spend at least half of their time developing knowledge and understanding of 2 religions, with the option to spend up to three-quarters of their time studying 1 of the 2. Students will also be able to study texts and learn about critiques of religion and other non-religious beliefs through the study of philosophy and ethics<\/li>\n<li>in A level <abbr title=\"religious studies\">RS<\/abbr> students will study at least 1 religion in depth. They will also be expected to read and understand the works and arguments of key theologians, scholars, philosophers and\/or ethicists<\/li>\n<li>a new drama <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr> and A level which are more rigorous and require greater breadth of study. At <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr> students will study at least 1 play in depth including its social, cultural and historical context, and 2 extracts from a second play. In the A level students will study at least 2 plays in depth, as well as 3 extracts from other plays and 2 theatre practitioners (individuals or companies)<\/li>\n<li>a new <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr> in food preparation and nutrition that draws and builds on the best of current food-related qualifications. This <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr> will place a greater focus on knowledge, including scientific knowledge of food and nutrition, and will enable students to apply this when preparing and cooking meals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Our plan for education is ensuring all pupils leave education with the knowledge and skills they need for a wide range of jobs and to succeed in a competitive global market.<\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\">The new, high-quality, more academically rigorous A level and <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr> content published today will further raise the bar so that more young people can benefit from the high quality of education they deserve.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The content for each subject has been prepared with close involvement of subject experts.<\/p>\n<p>Commenting on the new food preparation and nutrition <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr>, Myles Bremner, of the independent <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.schoolfoodplan.com\/\">school food plan<\/a>, said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>This qualification is another big step forward for food education in this country following the introduction of cooking as compulsory in the curriculum this term for all children up to the age of 14. I particularly like the new emphasis on understanding and enjoying English and international cuisines and encouraging students to develop their own recipes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\">It is a serious qualification that will be another step towards creating a healthier and happier society.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The new <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr> and A level in religious studies is supported by a wide range of faith groups.<\/p>\n<p>Jo Backus, Network of Buddhist Organisations representative to the Religious Education Council, and Munisha, Clear Vision Trust representative to the Religious Education Council, said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"last-child\">We support the changes in the <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr> subject content; in particular the move towards greater diversity of Buddhist teachings and traditions represented, which should lead to greater academic rigour.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Paul Barber, Director of the Catholic Education Service, said: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>We welcome the new criteria for <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr> and A level, which provide a real opportunity for Catholic religious education. In both examinations schools will be able to make a thorough study of Catholic Christianity in greater depth than has been possible before.<\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\">The new examinations will increase students\u2019 engagement with the scriptures, with the core doctrines of Catholicism and with the writings of Catholic theologians. We also hope that the increased rigour of the new specifications will improve the academic standards of this vital subject in all schools.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The Church of England\u2019s Chief Education Officer, Reverend Nigel Genders, said: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>We were pleased to work closely with the Department for Education in the development of these proposals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\">Looking at the world today, it is hard to overstate the importance of equipping the young people of this country with a challenging and rigorous education which includes religious literacy. That is why it is so important that we have a broad, demanding <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, Movement for Reform Judaism, said: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"last-child\">I welcome the publication of final content which equips students with religious literacy and enables them to be part of a diverse Britain with knowledge, understanding and joy.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Rajnish Kashyap, General Secretary Hindu Council <abbr title=\"United Kingdom\">UK<\/abbr>, said <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>On behalf of the Hindu Council <abbr title=\"United Kingdom\">UK<\/abbr>, I would like to say that we welcome and completely support the changes to be made to both the <abbr title=\"religious studies\">RS<\/abbr> <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr> and A level subjects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\">We hope the new qualification will help pupils across England to understand a much wider range of faiths and beliefs. We also applaud the education department that they have consulted widely on how to shape the syllabus for religious studies.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Muslim leader Maulana Muhammad Shahid Raza <abbr title=\"Officer of the Order of the British Empire\">OBE<\/abbr> said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>I am pleased to learn that the updated subject contents for religious studies <abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr> and AS\/A levels is now being released. I would like to extend my appreciation to all those involved in the process of developing a balanced and appropriate syllabus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\">I hope that this will provide a greater opportunity for children to understand their own faith and the faiths and beliefs of their classmates on a broader scale. I believe that Muslim children will greatly benefit from this provision and hope that in their future lives they will accordingly play a fundamental role in the creation of a cohesive British society.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 id=\"notes-to-editors\">Notes to editors<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>See details of the content for all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/collections\/gcse-subject-content\"><abbr title=\"General Certificate of Secondary Education\">GCSE<\/abbr><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/collections\/gce-as-and-a-level-subject-content\">A level<\/a> subjects.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"contact\" id=\"contact_997\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<h3>DfE enquiries<\/h3>\n<div class=\"vcard contact-inner\">\n<div class=\"email-url-number\">\n<p class=\"tel\">\n              <span class=\"type\">Central newsdesk<\/span><br \/>\n              020 7783 8300\n            <\/p>\n<p class=\"tel\">\n              <span class=\"type\">General enquiries<\/span><br \/>\n              0370 000 2288\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The government publishes new subject content for citizenship studies, drama, food preparation and nutrition, and religious studies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53782"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=53782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53782\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=53782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=53782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=53782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}