The English literature and English language GCSEs are “not fit for purpose”, according to a group of experts who have warned that the qualifications have “let down” students and teachers.
The current English GCSEs are “increasingly narrow in content, encouraging forms of teaching that do not develop the core skills of English”, a report from a working group on GCSE English reform has concluded.
The subject has become “too coupled with assessment”, meaning that English “no longer engages with students’ identities or diversity”, it added.
The report has been carried out by a working group set up by the English Association and University English, which represents lecturers in the subject.
Members of the working group, which includes English professors and heads of English in schools, said the “narrow” curriculum has damaged the effectiveness of the subject, especially since 2015.
Their report said: “Prompted by very wide disquiet right across the discipline of English at secondary, further and higher education level, our working group argues that the current GCSE provision for English literature and English language is not fit for purpose.”
Opportunities for reading more diverse and contemporary texts have also “shrunk significantly”, the report adds.
Instead, experts said the texts studied in GCSE English can become “high-stakes assessment transaction points” rather than points for more meaningful exploration.
Recommendations for GCSE reform
The working group has made several recommendations for reforming GCSE English literature and language.
These include having more diverse texts for study in the curriculum from around the world. Pupils should also study more media, non-fiction and multi-modal texts such as journalism, film, TV and computer games, experts said.
The GCSEs should also include more “appropriate ways” of assessing creative writing, and assess speaking and listening to make it more valued, the report recommends.
For English literature, the working group recommends that teaching is focused on studying “literature, not texts”. By this, the group means instead of just teaching specific texts, those texts should be taught as exemplifying elements of literature as a whole.
Assessment of poetry should also be rethought to encourage wider reading and “authentic personal response” rather than “overuse of technical terminology”.
Professor Robert Eaglestone, literature professor at Royal Holloway University and member of the working group, told Tes: “We have to change the content of the GCSEs but also we have to change the pedagogy.
“One of the things that came across really clearly was that the demands of assessment and accountability have led to a lot of teaching to the test. It’s led to English being taught like it’s chemistry.
“That’s not the way our discipline works. We need to change the pedagogy back to a more dialogue-driven discussion form.”
Developing writing and reading
For English language, the experts encouraged awarding bodies to include more varied writing tasks, and for the entire GCSE to develop knowledge of language more clearly.
The report also recommends encouraging pupils to read more by building thoughtfully on what teenagers are actually reading and always fostering reading for pleasure.
Finally, experts said the assessment burden in the subject should be reduced and made more holistic, with the return of other forms of assessment than by exams.
Professor Eaglestone said that changes to the curriculum would need to be accompanied by continuing professional development for teachers and strong guidance. He added that schools need support with buying new resources such as books for a new curriculum.
This comes after former education secretary Charles Clarke shared early findings from a review of 11-16 curriculum and assessment he is chairing for exam board OCR.
Mr Clarke said the review would suggest English could be defined more widely to build foundational skills and include “a range of language and presentation skills”.
Labour has previously announced it will conduct a review of curriculum and assessment.
The Department for Education was contacted for comment.
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