Kate & Wills worry about raising kids
Exams are too high-stake, we should abolish them
THE Duke and Duchess of Cambridge yesterday admitted they worry about raising their children.
The royals, parents to George, three, and Charlotte, one, were visiting children’s charity YoungMinds, which runs a parenting helpline.
Kate, 34, said: “We do face worries, because we’ve got small young children. It is normal. If the worries escalate, it is vital to get support.”
William, 34, told the London charity: “Parents must understand they can’t be brilliant at everything.
“It is fine to talk about it and to seek help, because we’re not all superheroes.” AT first glance this outcome shows results have fallen off a cliff.
Why is this? Because since 2010 the Government has had a clear narrative: Labour made exams too easy so the Tories brought in more “rigorous” tests, hence the drop in top grades.
Teachers, students and parents all feel they are political pawns, victims of successive education secretaries hell-bent on reducing the pass rate.
Students failing means ministers can demand schools are turned into academies which it claims will help raise standards. GCSEs are now terrifying “high stakes” exams. We should abolish them and let teachers decide how to assess children.
Dr Gilbert is an Educational Studies lecturer at Goldsmith’s in London.
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