[eal-bilingual] QCA considers new EAL GCSE

Dear colleagues

I just sent an unthought out email to the list without working it through!  I 
was thinking as I wrote and was trying to work out my thoughts on the 
subject,  but pressed send before I could!  Just shows what a low base I start  from!

Again apologies,

Tim Spafford

In a message dated 10/06/2007 20:53:48 GMT Standard Time, billboll1 at mac.com  
writes:

This  appeared in the EMA Online  newsletter.

http://www.emaonline.org.uk/ema/

QCA considers  new EAL GCSE
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QCA are  considering introducing an EAL GCSE. Speaking to reporters at  
the  National Association of Head Teachers' annual conference in   
Bournemouth, Mick Waters, director of curriculum at the   
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, suggested that non-native   
English speakers should be recognised for reaching a certain level.   
He commented that QCA are 'at the very early stages of thinking what   
it would be like to provide a GCSE for children who have English as   
an additional language'. He continued that 'Given that working in   
another language is at the heart of the school experience for a   
significant number of pupils, it might be good to recognise that  they  
have achieved certain criteria in the fundamental area of  English'.

The proposal has been criticized by Shadow Education  Secretary David  
Willetts who argued that 'We should be doing  everything possible to  
integrate children who don't have English as  their first language' He  
added that 'Creating a separate exam  structure risks turning them  
into second class  citizens'.