Home / IT qualification to be scrapped at GCSE and A-level
IT qualification to be scrapped at GCSE and A-level
EB News: 04/11/2015 - 11:43
The subject was one of 73 that were identified as needing reforms, and a Department for Education (DfE) consultation document has confirmed that the IT qualification will not be redeveloped.
The move is part of the government’s push for more academically challenging subjects and follows a large rise in pupils studying computer science, which the DfE believes gives pupils a stronger foundation for further study and employment.
The DfE release said: “The reformed computer science GCSE and A levels provide a strong foundation for further academic and vocational study and for employment.
“Students will develop the computational thinking skills needed for today’s economy – including coding and important information technology topics such as cyber security, networking and data storage.
“It is right that schools continue to focus on the digital knowledge that will best prepare young people for further study and employment.
“Ministers have therefore taken the decision not to approve two GCSEs and A levels in a similar qualification space.
“The IT GCSE and IT A level will not be redeveloped.”
The Welsh Government has agreed to continue a licensing deal which will give all learners at Welsh state schools free access to Microsoft 365 at school and at home.
Schools will play a greater role in ensuring every pupil has a clear post-16 destination, with a new approach to a guaranteed college or FE provider place available as a safety net being tested.
New data from Ofqual shows that schools and colleges across England are making progress in cyber security training, but are struggling to recover quickly from attacks when they occur.