It is traditional among Brits who have already left school to complain that GCSE exams get easier every year. Sweeping reforms have made the curriculum more demanding, with increased rote learning and fewer opportunities to retake exams. Easy ways for some parents and schools to boost the grades of weaker students, such as coursework, have been cut back. Dismally low resit pass rates – currently at 23% – suggest room for a rethink. There are signs that ministers are thinking along the right tracks: more attention has been paid to apprenticeships in recent years, for example.

Source: The Guardian August 24, 2017 18:00 UTC