The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations in Education Reform

Strategic Insights -

As the UK's education minister, Michael Gove, once famously argued, it is a form of soft bigotry to assume that some students are less capable simply because of their background or race. This mindset can be damaging, not just to individual students, but also to the education system as a whole. A recent controversy over the requirement for college students to resit their English and maths GCSEs highlights the issue.

Currently, about 35 per cent of pupils leave school without the necessary qualifications in English and maths, making it difficult for them to access better employment prospects and further education opportunities. However, the principal criticism of the resit policy is that the pass rate for those re-sitting these GCSEs after the age of 16 is very low, at just 20 per cent. This criticism ignores the fact that even with a pass rate of 20 per cent, there are 35,000 more young people each year who, as a result of resits, go on to lead more prosperous lives.

Achieving a grade 4 in the English and maths GCSE is within the ability range of every young person, barring those with serious learning difficulties or who face health issues or major trauma while studying. Teachers, students, and schools have shown that it is possible to deliver these results with good teaching and high expectations. For example, Michaela Community School in north London achieved 100 per cent of students passing both GCSEs in 2022, while Mercia School in Sheffield and Eden Girls' School in Coventry achieved 90 and 93 per cent respectively.

Key Takeaways:

  • The requirement for college students to resit their English and maths GCSEs has been met with criticism due to the low pass rate of 20 per cent.
  • However, this criticism ignores the fact that 35,000 more young people each year benefit from resitting and achieving better grades.
  • Achieving a grade 4 in English and maths GCSEs is within the ability range of every young person, barring those with significant learning difficulties or health issues.
  • Examples of schools that have achieved high pass rates in GCSEs, such as Michaela Community School, Michaela School, and Eden Girls' School, demonstrate that high expectations and good teaching can achieve success.
  • The UK education system has seen significant improvements since 2010, with England now ranking 4th in the world for reading and rising from 27th to 11th in maths.
  • FE colleges may argue that they are geared towards teaching technical and vocational courses and should not be required to make up for school failings, but alternatives such as a functional skills test lower expectations and may leave students without the necessary qualifications.
  • The education minister, Nick Gibb, has stated that he would continue to resist the soft bigotry of low expectations and press for further education colleges to improve their teaching of English and maths.

Statistics:

  • 35 per cent of pupils leave school without the necessary qualifications in English and maths (Source: 2015 Government research).
  • 20 per cent pass rate for re-sitting GCSEs after the age of 16 (Source: Not specified).
  • 35,000 more young people each year benefit from resitting and achieving better grades (Source: Author's estimate).
  • 90-100 per cent of students at Michaela Community School, Mercia School, and Eden Girls' School achieved at least a grade 4 in both English and maths GCSEs in the respective years (Sources: School reports).
  • England ranking 4th in the world for reading in 2022 and rising from 27th to 11th in maths since 2009 (Source: PISA rankings).

Sources:

  • Michael Gove's speech on the "soft bigotry of low expectations" (Source: Not specified).
  • 2015 Government research on the impact of GCSEs on earnings (Source: GOV.UK).
  • School reports on achievements of Michaela Community School, Mercia School, and Eden Girls' School (Sources: School websites).
  • PISA rankings on reading and maths for England (Source: OECD).