Editing GCSE (section)

=== Calls for reform and abolition ===
Support for scrapping GCSEs in England has increased because of the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="Hazell2021">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-10-18 |title=Why the GCSE exam system could face a major overhaul after the Covid results fiasco |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/education/gcses-scrapped-will-england-exam-system-overhaul-covid-results-algorithm-fiasco-1254383 |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=[[I (British newspaper)|i]] |language=en}}</ref> Rethinking Assessment was established in September 2020 to call for assessment reform in secondary education, including scrapping GCSEs. Members include [[multi-academy trust]]s including the [[Academies Enterprise Trust]] and [[Bohunt School|Bohunt Academy Trust]], independents schools including [[Eton College]], [[Bedales School]] and [[St Paul's Girls' School]], and [[Lord Baker of Dorking]], the Conservative who introduced GCSEs as education secretary in 1986.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=McConville |first1=Alistair |last2=Lucas |first2=Bill |last3=Hyman |first3=Peter |date=2020-10-01 |title=It's time to scrap GCSEs – they serve no good purpose in the 21st century |language=en-GB |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education-and-careers/2020/10/01/time-scrap-gcses-serve-no-good-purpose-21st-century/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2020-09-26 |title=Eton joins call for 'unfair and stressful' GCSEs to be scrapped |language=en-GB |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/09/26/eton-joins-call-unfair-stressful-gcses-scrapped/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

In 2021, former Conservative prime minister [[John Major]] led calls by him and eight former education secretaries, both Conservative and Labour, for GCSEs to either be scrapped and replaced, reformed or reviewed. Former education secretaries who called for them to be scrapped included Lord Baker, [[Lord Blunkett]] and [[Alan Johnson]], while those calling for changes, reforms or a review included Major and former education secretaries [[Baroness Morgan of Cotes]], [[Justine Greening]], [[Charles Clarke]] and [[Ruth Kelly]]. Former Labour [[schools minister]] [[David Miliband]] also called for them to be scrapped, as did Conservative MP [[Robert Halfon]], who chaired the [[Education Select Committee]] in the House of Commons between 2017 and 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |title=John Major leads call to overhaul GCSEs |language=en |work=[[The Times]] |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/john-major-leads-call-to-overhaul-gcses-pmsbjn3z9 |access-date=2022-08-23 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref> Support for scrapping GCSEs also came from teaching unions,<ref name="Hazell2021" /> including the [[National Education Union]] which is the largest teaching union in the country,<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2021-03-26 |title=It's time to abolish GCSEs, says biggest teaching union |language=en |work=[[The Times]] |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/abolish-gcses-says-biggest-teaching-union-njmmxw2d7 |access-date=2022-08-23 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref> and a group of [[centrist]] [[One-nation conservatism|one-nation]] Conservative MPs.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/gcse-exams-should-scrapped-mps-20592572 |title=GCSE exams should be scrapped, MPs told |date=2021-05-13 |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=[[WalesOnline]]}}</ref> Schools Minister [[Nick Gibb]] rejected the proposal, thinking that "it would be a huge mistake to abolish the tried and tested GCSEs".<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-07-21 |title=Schools minister Nick Gibb rejects call by John Major and other senior Tories to scrap or overhaul GCSEs |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/education/schools-minister-nick-gibb-john-major-tories-scrap-gcses-1114214 |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=[[I (British newspaper)|i]]}}</ref>

In 2022, former Labour prime minister [[Tony Blair]] called for GCSEs and A-Levels to be scrapped and replaced by a new qualification and an examination based on the [[International Baccalaureate]]. Before the age of 16, pupils would be assessed through pupil assessment. From 16 to 18, they would be assessed continually on their subject knowledge and skills through multiple methods including examination, which would determine their final grade.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tony Blair |first= |author-link=Tony Blair |date=2022-08-23 |title=It's time to scrap GCSEs and A-levels |language=en-GB |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/08/23/time-scrap-gcses-a-levels/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> Blair declined enacting a similar proposal when he was prime minister.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-08-23 |title=Tony Blair: Rip up the current exam system – it's unfit for the modern world |language=en-GB |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/08/23/tony-blair-rip-current-exam-system-unfit-modern-world/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |issn=0307-1235}}</ref>