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| UK shared exam system faces break up | UK shared exam system faces break up |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The shared A-level and GCSE system for England, Wales and Northern Ireland has taken a significant step towards being broken up. | The shared A-level and GCSE system for England, Wales and Northern Ireland has taken a significant step towards being broken up. |
| Education Secretary Michael Gove has written to education ministers in Wales and Northern Ireland saying the joint exam system no longer has a future. | Education Secretary Michael Gove has written to education ministers in Wales and Northern Ireland saying the joint exam system no longer has a future. |
| England's exam changes have not been accepted in Wales and Northern Ireland. | |
| The education minister in Wales, Leighton Andrews, says Wales will not give up the GCSE brand for exams. | The education minister in Wales, Leighton Andrews, says Wales will not give up the GCSE brand for exams. |
| "The time is right for us to acknowledge the three-country regulation of GCSEs and A-levels is no longer an objective towards which we should be working," wrote Mr Gove. | "The time is right for us to acknowledge the three-country regulation of GCSEs and A-levels is no longer an objective towards which we should be working," wrote Mr Gove. |
| He also raised the question of what such separated qualifications should be called - saying that the "titling issue" of different types of A-level and GCSE needed to be resolved. | He also raised the question of what such separated qualifications should be called - saying that the "titling issue" of different types of A-level and GCSE needed to be resolved. |
| 'Different qualifications' | 'Different qualifications' |
| Mr Gove said he had received advice from England's exam regulator Ofqual saying that it will be "very difficult, if not impossible, to maintain comparable standards when the structure, content and even grading of these qualifications are diverging to such an extent". | |
| Changes to A-levels and GCSEs in England, such as scrapping the modular structure and proposed changes to subject content, are not being followed by the devolved education systems in Wales and Northern Ireland. | Changes to A-levels and GCSEs in England, such as scrapping the modular structure and proposed changes to subject content, are not being followed by the devolved education systems in Wales and Northern Ireland. |
| Mr Gove also indicated last week that the grading of exams could be changed in England, moving away from the grading by letters - such as A*, A, B, C - and adopting a numerical ranking of 1,2,3 and so on. | Mr Gove also indicated last week that the grading of exams could be changed in England, moving away from the grading by letters - such as A*, A, B, C - and adopting a numerical ranking of 1,2,3 and so on. |
| Mr Gove, who met Leighton Andrews and Northern Ireland's education minister John O'Dowd last week, said the changes would mean "very different qualifications". | Mr Gove, who met Leighton Andrews and Northern Ireland's education minister John O'Dowd last week, said the changes would mean "very different qualifications". |
| The mutual agreement over qualifications had already been strained - with divided views over last summer's disputed GCSE English results. | |
| And there had been complaints that Wales and Northern Ireland had not been included in decisions about changing exams in England. | And there had been complaints that Wales and Northern Ireland had not been included in decisions about changing exams in England. |
| But instead of resolving such tensions, it now seems that Mr Gove believes the paths are dividing in a way that cannot be bridged. | But instead of resolving such tensions, it now seems that Mr Gove believes the paths are dividing in a way that cannot be bridged. |
| "That is a natural and legitimate consequence of devolution," says Mr Gove's letter. | "That is a natural and legitimate consequence of devolution," says Mr Gove's letter. |
| Breaking up | Breaking up |
| This common exam system has operated for decades. A-levels and O-levels were shared across England, Wales and Northern Ireland since the 1950s. When GCSEs were introduced in the 1980s, they were adopted in each of three administrations. | This common exam system has operated for decades. A-levels and O-levels were shared across England, Wales and Northern Ireland since the 1950s. When GCSEs were introduced in the 1980s, they were adopted in each of three administrations. |
| Scotland has continued to have its own separate education system. | Scotland has continued to have its own separate education system. |
| Despite Mr Gove's suggestion that the diverging exams should be re-titled, Leighton Andrews, education minister in Wales, has already signalled that he is not planning to drop the GCSE label. | Despite Mr Gove's suggestion that the diverging exams should be re-titled, Leighton Andrews, education minister in Wales, has already signalled that he is not planning to drop the GCSE label. |
| On Tuesday, writing on Twitter, Mr Andrews said: "For the avoidance of doubt, Wales will continue to have GCSEs, A levels and AS levels." | On Tuesday, writing on Twitter, Mr Andrews said: "For the avoidance of doubt, Wales will continue to have GCSEs, A levels and AS levels." |
| He had earlier tweeted: "We wish Mr Gove well with his plans to rename these qualifications in England." | He had earlier tweeted: "We wish Mr Gove well with his plans to rename these qualifications in England." |
| It will mean that there will be different forms of exam called GCSEs and A-levels operating in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - raising questions about how they should be interpreted by employers and universities. | It will mean that there will be different forms of exam called GCSEs and A-levels operating in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - raising questions about how they should be interpreted by employers and universities. |
| At present, A-levels from England, Wales and Northern Ireland are considered as being of the same value for university applications. | |
| Adding another layer of complexity, changes to GCSEs in England will initially be for a group of key subjects, which will mean differences between old and new types of GCSE. | Adding another layer of complexity, changes to GCSEs in England will initially be for a group of key subjects, which will mean differences between old and new types of GCSE. |
| There is further political uncertainty, with Labour in England saying that they would reverse some of the changes to A-levels if they came into office. | There is further political uncertainty, with Labour in England saying that they would reverse some of the changes to A-levels if they came into office. |
| On Monday, Mr O'Dowd announced some changes to A-levels in Northern Ireland, such as reducing re-sits, but he rejected key parts of the proposals for England, such as moving away from a modular system. | On Monday, Mr O'Dowd announced some changes to A-levels in Northern Ireland, such as reducing re-sits, but he rejected key parts of the proposals for England, such as moving away from a modular system. |
| This would "ensure the integrity of our A-levels," said Mr O'Dowd. | This would "ensure the integrity of our A-levels," said Mr O'Dowd. |
| In Wales, there are plans for a substantial overhaul of the exam regulatory system, creating a single body which will be responsible for setting exams and maintaining standards. | In Wales, there are plans for a substantial overhaul of the exam regulatory system, creating a single body which will be responsible for setting exams and maintaining standards. |