Exam Leave

Adult Staff The Staff Mess
1

Have been OC for a fair old time now and we’ve always let cadets have leave for exams as long as they let us know in advance. Until this year we’ve only really had a couple of cadets take leave and more often than not in the May/Jun exam period.

With our current group of cadets (GCSE and A Level Age)there seems to be so many more times throughout the year where they’re taking “Exam Leave” to revise. There is also more of them taking leave.

Has something changed in the past year where schools are encouraging pupils to take leave?

Could it be that we’ve just got a particularly studious group of cadets?

I was genuinely shocked last night at the number of cadets having leave for “revision” hence my post!

2

We’ve got a similar thing.

It’s not so much schools encouraging them to take leave - but both parents & schools telling them that if they fail there life will be over. I sat through a Year 9 options talk last week and was amazed that the headteacher stood infront of 200 students and their parents and told them that for their Year 9 exams, they would need to start their revision now (January!) in order to ensure success in the Summer (July). He then preached about having 1 night off per week to “do your own thing” and to do 2-3 hours per night of home work and revision.

Due to the GCSE modular framework, there are exams from Nov/Dec in Year 10, and roughly ever 3-4 months there after until they complete their A levels. For those on BTEC/NVQ courses (which can also start in Year 10) - as well as those doing GCSEs - it’s the “pressure” of coursework (which always appears to be done lastminute.com) which sees cadets missing nights for us.

The scary thing I’ve seen is that a number of schools locally - both academies and mainstream - are now doing the traditional Year 9 options stuff in Year 8. Meaning they have 3 years to do their GCSEs… and start their exams even earlier. One of the schools starts cherry picking some students to start GCSEs as early as Year 8…

Personally, I feel that exam leave too early has no benefit to the cadets whatsoever. We (the ACO) are a vent which they use to burn off that energy and enjoy themselves. If they can’t spare 3 hours to pop down to Squadron during their revision period and have that socialisation, interaction and doing something completely different for a bit, then I am worried for them and their mental health!

The night before an exam, yeah, I can understand that. 2 months before an exam? Come off it!

3

Was discussing this with one of my NCOs whos going through his final A-Level year. I was flabberghasted (not something I often suffer from) when he said how much revision he was being told to do (basically a lot more hours than I do at work).

Whatever happened to “bitesize” and taking a break to ensure everything is fresh.

4

Well-put. We should be verging upon being a statutory requirement under an amendment to the Education Acts :wink:

Unsung complimentary partners in the balanced education and social development of young people.

In Scotland, the situation’s slightly different. We tend not to see attendance affected too badly at Standard Grade (GCSE equivalent) for study/exam leave, but further up the school with Intermediates and Highers/Advanced Highers, as well as contending with exam/study leave, we’ve got the dreaded NABs as pre-quals for exams, and that takes the numbers down.

[I believe there are some independant schools in Scotland that put their students through [b]both [/b]exam systems (so they’d do GCSEs and Standard Grades, followed by A-Levels and Highers/Advanced Highers, missing-out just AS/Intermediates). Wouldn’t you just hate to be a CCF(RAF) Section Commander, and having to contend with that level of absentee Cadets?]

wilf_san

5

Well-put. We should be verging upon being a statutory requirement under an amendment to the Education Acts :wink: [/quote]It is a concern though. The high numbers of people with stress and burn out during their late teens and early 20’s is starting to impact on the medical systems in this country (although certainly no way near the levels in Japan!) - and people are genuinely puzzled by this trend. Really? I’m not a qualified person in these fields, but I can often see the levels of educational stress placed upon 13 & 14 year olds.

Hell, one of my mates had to help his 6 year old out with home work the other day! Since when did 6 years old have homework which didn’t involve “draw on the wall then play jumping”.

6

The move by the government to back away from modular exams should kick in soon though. Of course, the schools will get round this by having more mock exams…

7

Unfortunately there is little or nothing we can do to prevent this happening and is purely a result of the GCSE “points make prizes” league table system. I have long wanted to visit cadets on “exam leave” with some urgent stuff from the squadron, so that I can interrupt their game playing/soap opera/other mindlessness fix.

[quote=“Batfink” post=3376]Due to the GCSE modular framework, there are exams from Nov/Dec in Year 10, and roughly ever 3-4 months there after until they complete their A levels. For those on BTEC/NVQ courses (which can also start in Year 10) - as well as those doing GCSEs - it’s the “pressure” of coursework (which always appears to be done lastminute.com) which sees cadets missing nights for us.

The scary thing I’ve seen is that a number of schools locally - both academies and mainstream - are now doing the traditional Year 9 options stuff in Year 8. Meaning they have 3 years to do their GCSEs… and start their exams even earlier. One of the schools starts cherry picking some students to start GCSEs as early as Year 8…[/quote]
Hopefully the govt will get rid of modular GCSE and have one do or die exam in May/June, just like used to be, without coursework across the board. This will stop this nonsense in its tracks.
We get the same mainly 4th and 5th years and bizarrely I find parents are extremely frustrated that the kids don’t come to cadets, as the parents see the benefit of doing something else. Not sure if schools do though. I well remember a mate of mine when I was at school, who from February to June wasn’t allowed out by his parents as he had to revise and prepare for his exams. Ironically he did the worst out of our little gang and had to resit them at the local tech.
The idea of kids taking exams early is just a numbers game and of no benefit to the kids, other than potentially more meaningless GCSEs. Our kid’s school did this and then crammed a GCSE into one year if the kids at the school passed. We told ours not to bother too much if they didn’t pass and when two didn’t the teachers said they were disappointed and were almost speechless when we said we weren’t, in the slightest.

A side effect of this “your life will over if you don’t get xyz” BS driven by the schools, politicians and media, is that you make promotions based on the previous performance only to see some go right off the boil, due to the pressure to perform to make schools look good. Back in my day very, very few took study/exam leave as you weren’t exposed to external pressures to achieve any O Levels let alone 5. You did what you did and got on with your life.

8

Or, in the case of 50% of our local schools, by not being controlled by the sticky mittens of Michael “Golum” Gove.

9

Wow, I thought there was mutiny within the ranks at my Squadron. So it’s not just my lot making it up!

This is crazy. For example we didn’t have any Cadet activity over the weekend, they had a snow day from school yesterday and then they send in a leave of absence saying revision… So you can’t miss three hours of revision despite having three days off? Go figure

They missed out on Iglo building and Snowmen…

10

Or, in the case of 50% of our local schools, by not being controlled by the sticky mittens of Michael “Golum” Gove.[/quote]
Well the academies could be a problem, but if all exam boards and or the new single exam board as proposed doesn’t have modular exams and or massive coursework elements, they will have no option.

11

Or, in the case of 50% of our local schools, by not being controlled by the sticky mittens of Michael “Golum” Gove.[/quote]
Well the academies could be a problem, but if all exam boards and or the new single exam board as proposed doesn’t have modular exams and or massive coursework elements, they will have no option.[/quote]But this has been on the cards for years and still not materialised.

However, given the recent changes - and the rapid speed of “progress” - I wouldn’t put it past them to make it happen and sod the consequences.

12

That seems to be the mantra of the current shower in government.

13

What do you mean by “sod the consequences”.

Personally I can only see it as a positive. Education has for too long been in the hands of wishy-washy types who have a “no one can lose” mentality. An old teacher of mine voiced the opinion that the only reason GCSEs with the over reliance on coursework were invented was to lower the bar. I only hope that any changes tighten up the exam process, as the moment it looser than a whore’s drawers and open to abuse.

14

[quote=“Perry Mason” post=3427][quote=“Batfink” post=3426] I wouldn’t put it past them to make it happen and sod the consequences.[/quote]That seems to be the mantra of the current shower in government.[/quote]Perhaps they inherited it from the previous shower.

15

Thanking recently left the education system, and it not changed as of yet, I shall share my experiences. GCSEs there was a lot from the school about doing a ton of revision, if I had wanted I could have probably done an after school revision session each day of the week, a favourite phrase that was used ‘Failing to prepare is preparing to fail’ was bleated out to us most weeks. At the start of year 11 we had a new Head teacher, and we were his priority because these exams would be shaping our life in the future.

GCSEs providing you can get 5, an easy task given the number undertaken, graded above a C, including English and Maths, subjects you have been studying since being 5 years old, with constant progression, then you’ll get into a HE establishment, and be in good stead for employment at that age.

Now I did no revision, other than the forced in lesson type, which I disagreed with especially for the separate sciences, seeing as we were cramming 3 courses in the space of 2 and never had enough time!!! Yet despite this I came away with 14 GCSEs all above B. I attended cadets and weekend activities, and suffered not. I did the same during my A Levels, didn’t get fantastic results, but this was mainly due to effort in class and essay writing inability.

During my A Levels the college bleated on about University from xmas of the first year, just after the first set of exams, they did however say that it is important that we have a second life, especially if applying for a top university, as they aren’t just after grades.

Despite continuing to go to cadets and weekend activities, even doing JL during my second year, I am currently in what at this stage of my life is my ideal job, with future prospects, and my cadet skills impressing my employer.

Exams and certificates are merely a way in, it’s how you preform and what you do elsewhere that then counts in the long run. In 5 years’ time if I apply for a job, they will look and go, he went to college, and that will be the end of the education inquest. Life experience is more valuable.

16

What do you mean by “sod the consequences”.[/quote]
In 1984 we introduced the BTEC. In 1986 it was the GCSE. It took until the late 1990’s to get it through to employers that times had changed, the O-level was dead and things had moved on. Through that period, the students with O-level’s had a clear advantage with employers - they had something they understood.

In the late OO’s we introduced the shortlived “Diploma” system - which was rushed into service and promptly and quietly dropped within 2 years. Last year the students who “trialed” that left college and few have been able to relate their experiences to employers. They simply don’t get the qualification. We’ve been advised to put “BTEC” infront of it because it’s something that employers understand.

Changes to the current educational system will have comparible repercussions on the young people. As themajor clearly demonstrated. 14 GCSEs using the modular framework - will this happen in the future? It’ll happen for sure - but not nearly as commonly.

I wholeheartedly agree that the current practice of “coaching” and “mentoring” students to coursework does provide a mismatch of ability to knowledge - and it happens far too often ALL in the name of the dreaded league tables. BUT, coursework has its place. I certainly see coursework - and the process of going through coursework - is a much closer match to real world employment than the examination.

I would suggest a 50/50 approach would be the best compromise; whether this be an end of year exam or modular framework, I’m not sure.

17

I still don’t get GCSEs and I’ve got 3 children with a veritable shed load between them. They did a 2 week timetable, not unusual in the modern era, to ensure they could do loads of subjects.

As someone involved in CV sifting and interviewing, seeing a CV with in excess of 8+ GCSEs and 3 or 4 A Levels and maybe a degree in something or other, is not unusual and to a large extent valueless, which is why page 2 onwards has more influence on who gets a look in, if the spelling and grammar match the supposed qualifications.

So as I say I am hoping for something that is a more like the old O Level system, with kids doing less subjects in greater depth, less is more. The system that has developed in concert with league tables is akin to the old saying about throwing enough mud.

The major’s comments about 5 years is interesting as both of my daughters had to a literacy and numeracy for jobs, despite getting GCSE As in English and Maths, as they were over 3 years old and they hadn’t done any further study at Level 2 or above since. Both had worked in similar jobs, but this, to all intents meant nothing. So it seems exam passes have a shelf life of about 3 years. So a 16 year old leaving school with an armful of GCSEs, will see them reduced to just words on a CV by the time they are 19 and similarly A Levels for an 18 year old will be worthless by the time they reach 21.

18

I think as CFAV’s we need to look at the information we are being given by the individual. So many staff I have seen have been willing to accept exam leave without question.

I’m not suggesting the Spanish Inquisition, just try to find out why they can’t attend something they have volunteered to be a part of, to get enjoyment out of!?

I regularly hear of cadets that say they can’t attend Wing Field/Training Days. Days where there are in my opinion HOURS available for revision time.

Best one - Jonny cadet can’t attend IACE interview because of revision.

19

Sorry Johnny you’ve missed out on the chance of a lifetime…

20

Sorry Johnny you’ve missed out on the chance of a lifetime…[/quote]

Ha! My view exactly. It genuinely amuses me that cadets these days seem a bit miffed when the world won’t fit around their lives.