Plunge in selection of college students taking GCSE computing in 2020

The amount of college students deciding to hang GCSE computing in England drops in spite of a rise last year

Clare McDonald

Clare McDonald,
Industry Editor

Published: 20 Aug 2020 16: 15

The selection of college students in England selecting computing as a GCSE self-discipline has fallen in 2020, in spite of rising in recognition in fresh years.

Computing at GCSE level in England had 75,730 candidates in 2020 compared with 77,407 last year, and it used to be no longer primarily the most helpful science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) self-discipline to stare a fall in candidates.

Biology, chemistry and physics GCSEs moreover saw a fall in candidates, although there used to be a fundamental broaden within the selection of college students taking a GCSE science double award.

Many grief about what this fall in numbers would possibly imply for the technology trade’s already rising skills gap.

Agata Nowakowska, house vice-president of Europe, Heart East and Africa (EMEA) at Skillsoft, talked about: “As if to counterbalance the very honest correct data last week that the selection of ladies taking computing A-level this year increased by more than a fifth, the GCSE results paint a truly different image. No topic a fundamental power to help younger college students to pursue STEM subjects, there is a 2.1% reduction of all college students which absorb taken computing this year.

“There are rising numbers of feminine position units who are demonstrating STEM subjects ought to no longer correct for boys – from Countdown’s math prodigy Rachel Riley, to the Oxford University vaccine group lead, Sarah Gilbert. Unfortunately, this isn’t satisfactory; there is restful some distance more to realize within the school room.”

Whether or no longer the UK can sustainably put collectively abilities to absorb the technology skills gap has been a suppose for a truly prolonged time, especially as Brexit has threatened the UK’s in one more nation abilities pipeline.

Vinous Ali, accomplice director for policy at techUK, talked about it’s fundamental to be sure early life perceive what opportunities would possibly even be available to them off the help of a computing GCSE, while Dominic Harvey, director at CWJobs, identified that the sector must absorb as worthy as it ought to to be sure of us are gaining these skills and alive to about tech roles.

Harvey talked about: “It is fundamental that we proceed to promote the advantages to college students about taking STEM subjects. The UK has prolonged struggled to attenuate its skills gap and with technology becoming an ever-rising part of our day-to-day lives all the procedure thru those strange times, the demand for these skills within the UK tech market is handiest situation to grow, representing a gigantic likelihood for early life to invent a promising occupation within the sector.”

Grades for GCSE computing in England were better this year when compared with last year – 8.7% of candidates were awarded a 9 in 2020, the preferrred grade available, as against 3.9% in 2019.

Every level of grade awarded for GCSE computing this year used to be better than last year, with 33.5% gaining a 7 or above in 2020 compared with 21.6% in 2019, and 80.1% gaining no longer lower than a 4 as against 62.2% in 2019.

But whether or no longer grades from this year are in actuality equivalent to 2019 is a self-discipline of debate, because the coronavirus outbreak forced training suppliers to cancel checks and educate college students remotely.

On the beginning A-level and GCSE grades were calculated the utilization of a combination of files alongside with mock examination results, coursework grades, trainer predictions and centre assessment grades (CAGs) submitted by faculties and faculties.

Statistical standardisation units were then passe alongside these figures, and data from earlier years’ results, to be sure grades reflected pupil performance without predictions being more optimistic than in earlier years.

It used to be then determined to award college students with either grades calculated this implies or with centre assessment grades, depending on which used to be better.

The utilization of an algorithm to uncover of us’s grades used to be even handed controversial by many resulting from the high risk to introducing algorithmic bias into the technique.

Jack Ridgway, senior developer at tech company Hyve Managed Net hosting, talked about: “Predictive analytics can lead to uncertainty ought to you don’t hang into consideration fresh traits and other variables; on this case, particular particular person pupil growth all the procedure thru their last year of overview.

“It is crucial when the utilization of novel data that you just hang into consideration fresh data exhibiting growth and adjustments to design a magnificent consequence.”

When it used to be offered that college students would possibly well be receiving the preferrred results of either their centre assessed grade or the calculated grade, the educational secretary, Gavin Williamson, talked about: “This has been an terribly complicated year for early life that were unable to hang their checks.

“We labored with Ofqual to get the fairest doable model, but it is evident that the strategy of allocating grades has resulted in additional inconsistency and unfairness than would possibly also be reasonably resolved thru an appeals path of.

“We now give it some understanding is more fit to present early life and other folk certainty by sharp to trainer-assessed grades for every and each A and AS level and GCSE results. I’m sorry for the damage this has triggered early life and their other folk, but I’m hoping this announcement will now provide the certainty and reassurance they deserve.”

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