Passing GCSE maths 'has become much easier'

3 June 2008

The Independent, Richard Garner, 3 June 2008

It is now "substantially easier" to obtain a C-grade GCSE pass in maths compared with 20 years ago, academics said. A report by the think-tank Reform published today reveals pupils only need 20 per cent for a C-grade pass in the top-tier paper – compared with 50 per cent in 1990.

A similar trend emerges in the intermediate maths paper with the grade boundary reduced from 70 per cent to 40 per cent. "Standards for a GCSE grade C in mathematics are now lower than they were in 1990," concludes the report, The Battle for the Maths Economy.

Opposition MPs demanded an investigation into standards. Michael Gove, the Tories' schools spokesman, described the situation as "worrying". "Most ordinary people think that getting a pass means getting more than half of the questions right," he added.

David Laws, Liberal Democrat schools spokesman, said: "There is serious concern that political meddling has led to a dumbing down of maths education. We need a fully independent regulator to restore confidence and ensure there is adequate rigour in our exam system."

The report's authors, who include Professor John Marks and Elizabeth Truss, deputy director of Reform, a right-of-centre think-tank, also said exam questions had become "shallower". Rigorous questions in mathematics, algebra and geometry had been replaced by questions more "relevant" to everyday life in an attempt to make the subject more appealing, they add.

"To achieve a C grade, which was designed to be equivalent to a pass at O-level, candidates could get away with having a much weaker grasp on the fundamentals of mathematics," the report says.

Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said the report was "inaccurate and prejudiced" and there was no evidence that standards had dropped.