WITH their reliance on “text speak” and slang, websites such as Facebook and Twitter are often criticized for dragging down literacy standards. However, such social networking websites could become part of the British school curriculum, if plans for a new English GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) take effect, the Daily Mail has reported.
The qualification, being developed by the examination board Edexcel, is called “English Studies: Digital Communication”. Teenagers could take the course as a stand-alone subject or alongside traditional GCSEs in English language or literature. “Digital texts”, including Wikipedia, blogs and podcasts, will also feature in the qualification.
Ofqual (Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator), the exam regulator, is currently looking at the course content and Edexcel aims to launch it next year. Sample assessment material states that students “must be able to read, analyze, critique and plan” different types of text. These should be “industry-made or user generated examples of advertising, audio podcasts, video/moving image, websites, social networks, wikis and blogs”, the marking scheme said.
Education campaigners have condemned the idea as “dumbing down”, saying it was a “distraction” from the essential skills pupils should be learning. Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: “Children would be far better gaining a good grasp of English grammar and our great canon of English literature. Most youngsters learn about this sort of thing in their own time. It’s certainly not something for teachers and schools to be spending time on.”
But Edexcel defended the qualification, saying it was intended to complement GCSE English. It stressed that students would not take the qualification instead of a GCSE but as an additional “add on” to compulsory GCSEs. “This qualification builds on students’ interests in digital texts and proved to excite and engage both boys and girls in our pilot. It reflects the changing needs and interests of learners,” a spokesman said.
Ofqual said it was “involved in ongoing dialogue” with Edexcel over the exam.
