Science education experts warn against hasty A-level reform

With the Ofqual Board due to confirm a selection of A-level reforms today, the Science Community Representing Education (SCORE), of which the Royal Society of Chemistry is a partner organisation, has written to The Times calling on Ofqual not to separate practical marks from core A-level grades.

The letter reads: 

Sir,

As a partnership of the leading scientific learned societies, SCORE has grave concerns that Ofqual will today decide to separate practical marks from the core A level grades in biology, chemistry and physics.

At a time when the UK needs to be cultivating a scientifically skilled workforce, we're standing on the verge of depriving our children of a grounding in hands-on scientific experimentation.

We implore Ofqual to reconsider or delay this process in order to address unresolved questions surrounding the proposals.

Professor Julia Buckingham, Chair of SCORE

Marianne Cutler
Director Curriculum Innovation
Association for Science Education

Richard Needham
Former Chair of the Association for Science Education

Professor Peter Main
Director, Education and Science
Institute of Physics

Charles Tracy
Head of Education, Pre-19
Institute of Physics

Professor Jim Iley,
Executive Director, Science and Education
Royal Society of Chemistry

Professor Adrian Sutton FRS
Royal Society

Juliet Upton
Project Leader, Vision for Science and Mathematics Education,
The Royal Society

Rachel Lambert-Forsyth
Director of Education and Training
Society of Biology

Gemma Garrett
Deputy Director of Education
Society of Biology