Editing GCSE (section)

=== Social divide ===
The incorporation of GCSE awards into school league tables, and the setting of targets at school level at above national average levels of attainment, has been criticised. At the time of introduction, the E grade was intended to be equivalent to the CSE grade 4, and so obtainable by a candidate of average/median ability.<ref name="times3">{{cite news |last1= |first1= |date=1982-01-27 |title=Poor marks for maths teaching |work=The Times |issue=61142 |location=London, England |url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=norlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&docId=CS51087931&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0 |access-date=12 September 2015 |ref=p3}}</ref> Sir [[Keith Joseph]] set schools a target of 90% of their pupils obtaining at least a grade F (which was the "average" grade achieved in the past). This target was reached nationally about 20 years later. David Blunkett went further and set schools the goal of 50% of 16-year-olds gaining 5 GCSEs or equivalent at grade C and above, although these grades were previously only obtained by the top 30%. This was achieved with the help of equivalent and largely vocational qualifications.<ref>{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=History examinations from the 1960s to the present day |url=http://www.history.ac.uk/history-in-education/sites/history-in-education/files/attachments/history_examinations_from_the_1960s_to_the_present_day.doc |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126122506/http://www.history.ac.uk/history-in-education/sites/history-in-education/files/attachments/history_examinations_from_the_1960s_to_the_present_day.doc |archive-date=26 November 2013 |access-date=13 September 2015 |website=history.ac.uk |ref=2011}}</ref> Labelling schools as failing if 40% of their pupils do not achieve at least 5 Cs, including English and Maths at GCSE, has also been criticised, as it essentially requires 40% of each intake to achieve the grades only obtained by the top 20% when GCSE was introduced.<ref>{{cite news |date=29 January 2015 |title=School league tables branded a 'nonsense' amid changes |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-31023685 |access-date=13 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1= |first1= |date=29 January 2015 |title=GCSE performance tables: Number of failing schools doubles in a year |website=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11375644/GCSE-performance-tables-Number-of-failing-schools-doubles-in-a-year.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/11375644/GCSE-performance-tables-Number-of-failing-schools-doubles-in-a-year.html |archive-date=11 January 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The extent of the switching away from the terminal exam only GCSE to the IGCSEs in public and private schools was revealed in answers to a parliamentary question posed by Labour MP [[Lucy Powell]] in November 2018. The option to choose to do so is no longer open to state schools since the introduction of the new GCSEs graded 1–9.<ref name="Helm">{{cite news |last1= |first1= |date=29 December 2018 |title=Exam reforms boost private pupils in race for universities |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/dec/29/exam-reforms-boost-private-pupils-in-race-for-universities |access-date=30 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-12-30 |title=Private schools accused of 'cheating the system' with 'easier' GCSEs |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/education/private-schools-igcses-240648 |access-date=2023-10-29 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>

Michael Gove, the architect of these reformed examinations, said in 2009: "Denying IGCSEs in core subjects to children in state schools will only serve to increase the level of inequality in education<nowiki>''</nowiki>.<ref>{{cite news |last1= |first1= |date=4 November 2009 |title=GCSE alternative 'banned' in state schools |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6502462/GCSE-alternative-banned-in-state-schools.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=30 December 2018 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6502462/GCSE-alternative-banned-in-state-schools.html |archive-date=11 January 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref>