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Independent schools opting for "more rigorous" science qualification

Posted on 27th November 2008

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Approximately half of independent schools have abandoned GCSEs in maths and science due to the lack of rigour of the assessments, it has been suggested.

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has today submitted an e-petition to Downing Street calling on the prime minister to "reverse the demonstrable decline" in science standards in schools.

It argues that the quality of science in schools has been "eroded" by teaching to the test.

Chief executive of the organisation Dr Richard Pike stated that he has "discovered" that about 50 per cent of private schools have opted to offer the "more rigorous" International GCSEs in science and maths "for these very reasons".

He added that a "catastrophic slippage" in school science examination standards is indicative of a "systemic failure" in the educational system.

The quality of business teaching in schools was brought into question by Ofsted yesterday, which stated that these lessons are "thorough but uninspiring".