'Relentless' GCSE resit cycle 'simply not working', school and college leaders say
Education leaders in England are calling for an end to the mandatory GCSE resit cycle for maths and English, describing it as a 'relentless' and ineffective process. The government plans to introduce a new 'stepping stone' qualification by 2028 to replace the current system.
Why it matters
The debate highlights systemic issues in the UK education system regarding student progression and the impact of high-stakes testing on career readiness.
Image source, Getty Images By Beth Rose Education reporter Published 48 minutes ago The "relentless" cycle of pupils in England failing and then resitting their GCSEs in maths and English is "simply not working", a leading education union has said.
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said a "significant proportion" of students fall short of passing those subjects, and that most who retake those exams "face the miserable experience of falling short once again".
Thursday's results data showed nearly one in four maths and English GCSEs in England were taken by students aged 17 and older, mostly young people resitting exams they had previously failed.
The government said it wanted to stop the "endless treadmill of unnecessary resits".
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in