GCSE English language focuses far too narrowly on literary texts and contains too much overlap with English literature, the chief executive of the OCR exam board has warned.
Speaking at the Westminster Education Forum this morning, Jill Duffy said the English language GCSE needs “urgent attention” and must be a priority for the next stage of the ongoing review of curriculum and assessment.
“Its focus on literary texts is far too narrow, it is missing vital aspects of how our language works, and it doesn’t give students the chance to study language that is relevant to them,” she said.
“We need a clearer distinction between English literature and language - and improvements to both. One problem with the language GCSE is that it asks students to replicate the kinds of analysis they are doing in literature and therefore fails to expose students to the full variety and potential of the English language.”
Call for reform of English GCSE
A review for OCR chaired by former education secretary Charles Clarke previously warned that the English GCSEs should be “redesigned as a matter of urgency”.
Experts at The English Association have also said the current English GCSEs are “not fit for purpose”.
Ms Duffy today said that teachers have told OCR their students would find it more engaging to analyse modern forms of writing and pieces of multimedia in English language.
In English literature, exam boards have been adding a wider range of texts to their specifications in recent years, aimed at improving diversity of choice and allowing candidates to study texts that feel more relevant to them.
However, Tes this month revealed that the vast majority of GCSE candidates are choosing the same texts amid a lack of resources for new books and training.
Ms Duffy further warned about oracy not being prioritised, and said that any good practice at the moment is “happening in spite of the current system rather than because of it”.
“Teaching young people how to talk, how to listen or, more fundamentally, how language can be used and abused is not prioritised by the current GCSE,” she said.
After publishing its interim report in March, the government’s curriculum review, led by Professor Becky Francis, is now in its second stage, looking at subject-specific issues. The review is expected to publish a final report this autumn.
Professor Francis previously told headteachers that some subjects had an over-prescription of content, while others had the opposite problem. Some of these latter subjects “lack specificity” and end up with a greater curriculum volume as teachers attempt to “cover all eventualities”, the interim report said.
However, the interim report did not single out specific subjects and their issues.
Ms Duffy said: “The English language GCSE has so much potential that is currently being completely ignored. That is why it must be a priority, alongside maths, for Becky Francis and her team.”
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