Is this a fair test four our children

WHEN the first youngsters sat their AS-Level papers last summer, the Government trumpeted that the exams would broaden the post-16 curriculum. Instead of narrowing down their options at 16, most would now go on to take four or five subjects at AS-Level, rather than the usual three in the sixth form. It sounded good in theory, but, in practice, it was not long before parents and teachers complained that the exams were a shambles and were overburdening the youngsters.

Education Secretary Estelle Morris responded by ordering a review into the exams by the exam regulator, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The result was an overhaul of the AS-Level and a pledge to slash the number of papers first-year sixth formers had to take, with students sitting single tests of up to three hours rather than large numbers of shorter papers.

Less than a year later, and the Government is publishing its long-awaited Green Paper on 14-19 educational reforms. Today's Extending Opportunities, Raising Standards proposals outline more changes to an already overburdened exam system. It is perhaps understandable that head teachers are bracing themselves for more reforms. Says David Dunn, head teacher at Yarm School, near Stockton: "I have called in the past for a national review of the whole curriculum and assessment process, but it seems to me that, yet again, we're going to be put under even more exam pressure."

Whether the reforms will prove as hard to digest as the AS-Levels remains to be seen. The Green Paper is expected to include proposals for a new "over arching award" - similar to the French baccalaureate - where pupils take a mixture of academic and vocational subjects. As part of the shake-up, Ms Morris is vowing to end the ''culture of snobbery'' surrounding vocational qualifications.

From this September, 14-year-olds will be able to start new vocational GCSE courses in subjects such as health, leisure and tourism, engineering and computer technology. They have received a cautious welcome from both business leaders and head teachers, who recognise the need to prepare students for the workplace.

"I do welcome the move towards opening up vocational qualifications, because I think it's long overdue and acknowledges that not everybody is cut out for the demanding academic side of school life," says Mr Dunn.

"To train more engineers, for example, is a good thing, but I'm not entirely sure that it should be at 14, because engineers ideally should have skills encompassing things like maths, IT and physics. I think the children and the parents will also understand that the traditional courses are going to open more doors."

The reforms could also end up compartmentalising youngsters into a job-related subject at an early age. Mr Dunn feels it is important to keep the doors open. How many youngsters have any idea what career path they will take when they leave school?

The Green Paper is also expected to give bright 18-year-olds the opportunity to take a tough new A-Level with distinction, to try to separate the almost one in five candidates who achieve a grade A. Ministers have dropped the idea of the A-starred grade and the new advanced extension awards, which are being piloted this year. Instead, those who are likely to achieve grade As at their A2-Level will be invited in their exams to try special questions to obtain a distinction. Fewer than five per cent of candidates are expected to pass.

For Mr Dunn, it signals a lack of coherence, after he was preparing his students to sit the advanced extension awards, which the top universities are seeking to distinguish between the more able candidates. It means this year's students will have the advanced extension awards on their CVs before they are binned. In the coming years, top tier candidates will have distinctions dubbed the Super A-Levels.

Another proposal which has drawn widespread condemnation is abolishing compulsory language lessons at 14. Ms Morris is keen to see a shake-up in languages because the falling numbers taking A-Levels and degrees has shown "we don't do it very well", although she has hinted that foreign languages could be taken up at primary level.

But, according to Mr Dunn, the fact that Britain lags behind its European counterparts when it comes to taking languages needs to be addressed. "Some people will say what does it matter when they speak English abroad? But my argument would be, try going to Germany and selling something in English, and you will be at a distinct disadvantage."

Angus Hynd, assistant regional director of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) North-East agrees. He says 36 per cent of adults do not have five GCSEs or their equivalent, compared with 27 per cent in France and 17 per cent in Germany. Losing compulsory languages beyond age 14 will leave us lagging further behind.

"In a workplace that is becoming increasingly global, the lack of languages in the UK is a hindrance," he says. "What we need nationally is a fundamental education for our kids, and that has got to include languages. The fact that English is our spoken language makes us lazy, but it really does us no favours, especially in the workplace."

Mr Hynd believes Britain has a basic skills problem he describes as a "national disgrace", which the Green Paper does not tackle. The Government should be concentrating on making sure teenagers leave schools with basic skills of reading, writing and adding up, he says.

"All employers are looking for is young people who will add value to their companies. They don't expect them to arrive at the workplace fully qualified and trained to meet whatever they require. They want young people to have potential, a positive attitude and flexibility. And what they do need is basic skills in literacy, numeracy, communication, teamwork, problem solving, and the ability for self development. That is what employers are looking for."

The Government believes that the reforms will help tackle the snobbery of those who see vocational subjects as second class. But Mr Hynd admits employers will still probably judge the worth of a vocational course against a more academic one, even if it carries the same GCSE or A-Level tag. More than ten years ago, dozens of new universities emerged from the shells of former polytechnics, supposedly putting all graduates on an equal footing in the job market. Today, employers are still aware of the differences between the traditional universities and the new, he says.

"The previous government and this one are constantly changing the curriculum and their ideas, and all it does is confuse young people and employers," he adds.

As always, it will be the students who are the guinea pigs and they will be the ones to tell the Government if the reforms are workable or not.

But as David Dunn warns: "I would just question what on earth we're trying to do by over examining our youngsters and putting them under relentless pressure all the time. Here we are with another knee-jerk reaction rather than a fundamental review of how we are going to assess our children."