Baccalaureate qualifications come in many forms. The International Baccalaureate (IB) combines academic subjects with creativity, action and service involving civic action/active citizenship, and a dissertation style essay.
The European Baccalaureate, a different variation of the qualification, is used by European schools in England. Other versions are on offer through the awarding body AQA and the University of Cambridge.
Some five years ago, Wales introduced its own Bacc. At the time in England there was a significant debate about our public qualifications and the pros and cons of a graduation certificate. The Welsh Bacc consists of a core and options. The core is made up of: key skills; Wales, Europe and the World; work-related education; personal and social education (involving community activity and active citizenship); and an individual investigation. Options comprise courses and programmes currently offered at GCSE, Vocational GCSE, AS / A levels and Vocational Qualifications (NVQ, BTEC). The combination of a core and options means the Welsh approach offers different levels of achievement, breadth and student choice.
What about the English Baccalaureate or EBacc? Is it simply a measure of attainment in league tables, a qualification in its own right or a means to drive a narrowing of the national curriculum in our schools? The government introduced EBacc this year as an additional measure in league tables based on GCSE results. It is applied to student attainment at 16 (not 18) and includes the subjects of English, mathematics, sciences, a language and a humanities (either geography or history). The Department for Education guidance says it is not a qualification.
That the EBacc has been retrospectively applied to schools to judge their GCSE results from last year, is understandably controversial. It is seen by many as a cynical means to create a narrow curriculum that is neither world class nor fit for the 21st century. The term ‘Baccalaurate’ is perhaps part of the problem. Ebacc is not a qualification or qualification ‘wrapper’ – it is being used by government as an additional measure of attainment. Neither does it promote a broad programme of study including community action or active citizenship that other models offer.
The government has not consulted (or convinced) teachers, students, parents, employers or politicians about the Ebacc. Fortunately the Education Select Committee has decided to hold an inquiry. The timeframe to take part is short and evidence must be submitted by noon on 8 March 2011. So this is your chance to have a say.
The select committee is particularly concerned with the following issues:
- the purpose and benefits of the EBacc and its value as a measure of pupil and school performance;
- the choice of subjects included in the E-Bacc;
- the implications of the E-Bacc for pupils, schools and employers;
- international comparators for the E-Bacc.
Democratic Life will be responding to the inquiry to argue that GCSE Citizenship Studies should be included in the English Bacc. We will be pointing to the IB and the Welsh Bacc to show that a well-rounded Baccalaureate recognises citizenship education as an essential component of a broad and balanced education.
Liz Moorse is a policy consultant who provides strategic advice to national education organisations and charities. She is a governing member of Democratic Life.
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I feel that the English Baccalaureate is an unfair measure of attainment that is being placed on schools and colleges retrospectively. It only goes to further the divide between ‘academic’ and ‘vocational’ subjects, leading students who study vocational subjects feeling that they are not as worthy as academic students. This will do nothing for the parity of esteem which we have been aiming for!
I do not think that employers and others will understand the system and make unfiar judgements about students’ progress.
The languages to be counted are also outdated – surely Mandarin should be one of the languages that counts as this would be one of the most useful in the future!
Ma’am, with all due respect, I must say I highly disagree with this. I live in the United States. I am part of the International Baccalaureate program, and am quite proud to be in it. I believe that our society these days is so therapeutic, that we feel like everyone needs to be equal. This is DESTROYING our world. Not everyone is made to be the same, the social scale is natural, and, while one person is never better than any other, it is necessary to realize that those people who are to go on to do great things in academia should be recognized higher than those who are not. If everyone is made to feel equal, then society will crash down when people get out in the real world and realize just how “unfair” the world really is. Now, please no one take this disrespectfully, I promise, I’m not a rude, insolent teenager who wants to argue, quit the contrary really. I just feel like it is essential to realize that while we may want everyone to feel good about themselves, the nature of the world just will not allow that.
So you agree that the IB is a way forward.
Eng Bacc is not a qualification, its a measure of attainment. not like International bacc
you seem to confuse IB with EBacc, reading with understanding please…
Will the democratic life responce be put on this website?
Yes the response will be published.
Having just checked the select committee guidance, I’ve realised that we won’t be able to publish our response unless we get permission from the committee.