§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he yet has an indication of the effect of GCSE examinations on staying on in full-time education and on the attainments of those taking the examination; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerThe preliminary indications are encouraging. There has been a significant increase, from 46 per cent. to 49 per cent. between 1987 and 1988, in the proportion of 16-year-olds staying on in full-time education. There has been a similar increase, from an estimated 25 per cent. to some 27.5 per cent. in the proportion of all 16-year-olds gaining five or more results at grade C or above in the GCSE compared with the equivalent examinations in the previous year; and increases in the proportion of 16-year-old school leavers generally obtaining graded results. The increases have been particularly notable in French and in mathematics, for both sexes, and among girls in the physical sciences. Further details are contained in the tables.
The evidence from Her Majesty's Inspectorate and the School Examinations and Assessment Council is that the GCSE examining groups, and in particular their chief examiners, have been at pains to maintain in the GCSE the standards set in previous examinations. These results therefore strongly suggest that the improvements in teaching and learning learning observed by Her Majesty's Inspectorate have been reflected in higher levels of attainment in the GCSE. There is, however, undoubtedly room for further improvement at all levels of attainment. I look to schools, with the support of the examining groups and others concerned, to secure these.
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1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 11987–88 Girls 17.9 17.8 17.9 18.4 18.8 18.8 19.4 Boys and Girls 13.2 13.2 13.5 14.1 14.6 15.0 15.6 Percentage staying on in school, HE or FE Boys 42.4 40.5 40.3 40.9 41.3 42.3 44.8 Girls 52.6 50.5 49.3 49.7 49.5 50.0 53.0 Boys and Girls 47.4 45.3 44.7 45.2 45.3 46.1 48.8 1 Provisional figures. 2 Derived from GAD estimates of the population.
Annex A—table 2 School leavers in England Examination achievements in the summer session of year of leaving for leavers aged 15
Percentage of leavers with different levels of qualification
1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–881 Boys (000's) 263.9 267.4 262.8 259.8 253.3 255.2 232.1 Five or more results at F2 or better 5 or more higher3 grades 6.8 7.0 7.3 7.9 8.4 8.3 9.4 1–4 higher grades 23.8 24.3 24.1 24.0 23.8 24.8 25.8 No higher grades 20.9 21.2 20.6 21.2 20.2 20.7 18.0 Total 51.4 52.5 52.0 53.1 52.4 53.7 53.2 Four or more results4, four at F or better 8.0 7.9 8.3 7.7 8.0 7.2 6.9 One or more results, three or less at F or better 23.6 23.7 24.3 24.2 24.6 24.3 24.3 No graded result 16.9 16.0 15.5 15.0 15.0 14.8 15.6 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Girls (000's) 245.2 247.1 246.7 244.5 239.3 241.1 216.2 Five or more results at F2 or better Five or more higher3 grades 9.2 9.0 9.7 10.6 11.0 11.4 15.0 1–4 higher grades 28.1 29.5 29.3 29.6 29.4 30.5 31.8 No higher grades 19.8 20.9 20.8 19.9 19.8 19.4 16.7 Total 57.1 59.3 59.7 60.1 60.2 61.2 63.5 Four or more results4, four at F or better 9.0 8.8 8.3 8.4 8.3 7.8 6.6 One or more results, three or less at F or better 20.7 20.4 20.6 20.1 20.1 20.0 19.0 No graded result 13.2 11.5 11.3 11.5 11.4 10.9 10.9 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Boys and Girls (000's) 509.1 514.5 509.5 504.3 492.6 496.3 448.3 Five or more results at F2 or better Five or more higher3 grades 7.9 7.9 8.4 9.2 9.6 9.8 12.1 1–4 higher grades 25.9 26.8 26.6 26.7 26.5 27.5 28.7 No higher grades 20.4 21.0 20.7 20.6 20.0 20.1 17.4 Total 54.2 55.8 55.7 56.5 56.2 57.4 58.2 Four or more results4, four at F or better 8.5 8.3 8.3 8.1 8.2 7.5 6.8 One or more results three or less at F or better 22.2 22.1 22.5 22.2 22.4 22.2 21.7 No graded results 15.1 13.8 13.5 13.3 13.3 12.9 13.3 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 1 Provisional figures. 2 GCSE grades A-F, O level grades A-E, CSE grades 1–4. 3 GCSE grades A-C, O level grades A-C, CSE grade 1. 4 GCSE grades A-G, O level grades A-E, CSE grades 1–5. 848W 849W
Annex A—Table 3 School leavers in England Examination achievements in the summer session of year of leaving for leavers aged 15
Percentage of leavers achieving a grade result1 in selected subjects
1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 21987–88 Boys (000's) 263.9 267.4 262.8 259.8 253.3 255.2 232.1 Percentage with graded result in: English 72.9 73.6 73.7 74.1 73.7 74.3 75.5 Maths 64.3 64.8 65.4 66.0 65.8 67.0 69.4 Physics 37.7 38.7 37.1 36.9 36.0 35.9 35.5
1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 21987–88 Chemistry 17.2 18.1 18.3 18.5 18.0 18.8 19.0 Biology 18.3 18.4 19.1 19.5 18.8 19.5 17.8 Craft, design, technology 56.0 56.0 53.9 53.0 51.7 49.5 47.3 Other science 14.0 14.6 15.0 15.2 15.1 16.0 18.7 French 11.3 12.2 12.3 13.4 13.9 14.8 17.0 History 26.1 25.6 25.5 25.1 24.9 25.4 24.6 Geography 37.3 38.4 38.0 38.1 37.5 37.7 37.4 Creative arts 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.2 28.3 29.0 28.9 Commercial and domestic subjects 9.2 10.2 11.3 12.7 13.4 15.9 17.8 Girls (000's) 245.2 247.1 246.7 244.5 239.3 241.1 216.2 Percentage with graded result in: English 81.0 82.6 82.9 82.8 82.9 83.1 84.7 Maths 65.4 66.7 67.1 67.6 67.2 68.6 70.4 Physics 9.0 10.4 9.7 10.7 11.1 11.5 11.8 Chemistry 11.9 13.3 13.9 15.0 15.3 15.8 16.2 Biology 42.7 44.8 45.6 45.1 43.4 43.1 41.1 Craft, design, technology 5.4 6.0 5.7 6.4 8.0 8.5 11.3 Other science 9.5 10.4 11.2 11.3 11.8 13.2 16.8 French 27.8 29.2 29.4 30.2 30.2 30.2 33.0 History 30.5 30.4 30.2 28.9 28.3 27.5 27.8 Geography 28.2 29.2 28.3 28.2 27.9 27.2 27.7 Creative arts 31.7 32.4 32.7 33.3 33.5 34.9 34.3 Commercial and domestic subjects 55.8 56.4 56.9 55.6 55.5 56.2 55.1 Boys and Girls (000's) 509.1 514.5 509.5 504.3 492.6 496.3 448.3 Percentage with graded result in: English 76.8 78.0 78.1 78.3 78.2 78.6 79.9 Maths 64.9 65.7 66.2 66.8 66.5 67.8 69.9 Physics 23.9 25.1 23.8 24.2 23.9 24.1 24.1 Chemistry 14.6 15.8 16.2 16.8 16.7 17.3 17.7 Biology 30.1 31.1 31.9 31.9 30.7 31.0 29.0 Craft, design, technology 31.6 32.0 30.6 30.4 30.5 29.6 29.9 Other science 11.8 12.6 13.1 13.3 13.5 14.7 17.8 French 19.3 20.4 20.6 21.5 21.8 22.3 24.7 History 28.2 27.9 27.8 27.0 26.6 26.4 26.2 Geography 32.9 34.0 33.3 33.3 32.8 32.6 32.7 Creative arts 29.8 30.2 30.5 30.6 30.8 31.9 31.5 Commercial and domestic subjects 31.7 32.4 33.4 33.5 33.9 35.5 35.8 1 A graded result is defined as GCSE grades A-G, or O level grades A-E and CSE grades 1–5. 2 Provisional figures.