7 GCSEs!

So reports are suggesting that passing level 2 diploma will be counted as 7 GCSE.

Two thoughts on this really. Great becuase then kids who would otherwise stand no chance of getting 5 passes including Maths and English can focus all their effdorts on diploma and walk away with just one qwualification worth 7 GCSE passes.

However and it's a big one this......

Does this simply devalue the qualification. The problem with the Thomas Telford 4 GCSE pass in IT was that it simply wasn't worth - emploeyers didn't take it seriously, neirther did HE and even in colleges. A Thomas Telford qualification plus a a grade C in PE or Media (sorry nothing against these subjects at all just exmaples) is only good for school league tables.

So a big worry is that it becomes the easy option and overvalued which is NOT THE WAY to get diplomas and functional skills accepted as a qwuality alternative qualification.