Reply to post: Re: So many issues...

Do UK.gov wonks understand sci-tech skills gap? MPs dish out Parliamentary kicking

Martin an gof Silver badge

Re: So many issues...

ICT is my particular bugbear, which in most schools is given a very low priority and taught by non-specialists.

In England, of course, you can no longer take ICT; it's Computer Science now and there is good evidence that the number of pupils taking CS is a lot lower than those who used to take ICT.

In Wales, both are still available and certainly at my children's school it is interesting to note that the teachers have consistently said things along the lines of "you don't want to take CS because it's too hard and the pass rate is low. Take ICT instead, it's still a GCSE and most employers will count it exactly the same".

Of course what they mean is "please take the easier subject so our percentage of good grades improves".

Oh, and it isn't (completely) true, either. Last year's ICT and CS A*-C results for this examination board were 69.9% and 60.3% respectively. Note that Physics was 92.1% and Chemistry 91.8%!

M.

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