There had been concern that some pupils may cheat with coursework traditional gcse coursework is to be scrapped for most academic subjects following a report by exam watchdogs. from 2009, it will be replaced by what is being called controlled assessment , where pupils will do projects under supervision in class. The changes come amid concerns about pupils cheating by copying from the internet or getting help from parents. This is because science gcse courses changed last year and much of the coursework involved is already done in school. The changes follow a review by the exams and curriculum body for england the qca, working closely with counterparts in wales and northern ireland. They will affect nine subjects, including english literature, geography and history. Two thirds of teachers surveyed for the study had said they did not think coursework was valid and reliable. Boys have leapfrogged over girls in maths gcse results, bagging more of the top grades for the first time since 1997 after the government scrapped coursework last year.

The remarkable two percentage point increase in the proportion of top grades awarded to boys for maths sparked a debate about whether girls and boys should be assessed differently after experts claimed that girls thrived in coursework tests while their male classmates did better at cramming for exams. A 20 year trend of girls increasingly outperforming boys could begin to reverse next year because coursework is due to be scrapped for nearly all subjects following the move with maths this year. The decision to reduce coursework was made amid concerns of increasing plagiarism, but it now appears it will have a significant impact on the gender gap in education and could disadvantage girls. The proportion of boys getting grades a to c in maths gcse rose from 55.8% to 57.6%, while the rate for girls stayed the same, at 56.8%. Overall, the proportion of girls getting an a or a for all subjects was 24.4%, compared with 18.7% of boys.

Mike cresswell, director general of the exam board aqa, presenting the gcse results today, said: this year the boys are doing better than the girls at gcse maths. The obvious speculation is it reflects the removal of coursework from gcse maths. John dunford, general secretary of the association of school and college leaders ascl , said: twenty years ago we were told we had to work hard so that girls caught up with boys. I do think we could see the situation where boys will catch up with girls as a result of this change. Girls work more consistently through two years – these are wild generalisations – and boys prefer to study hard before an exam. The removal of coursework in mathematics has had a beneficial effect on boys' achievement in this subject and they have now overtaken girls at grades a to c. There was another spike in students sitting exams early, with a sharp rise in early entries to gcse maths.

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Cresswell said this could be down to schools putting talented pupils forward early, but there is also evidence of increasing numbers of schools entering pupils early for exams to bank their results. This then allows them to concentrate on other areas in the final year of gcse study, to reach the government's target of 30% of all pupils getting five good gcses including english and maths. There was concern, however, at a 0.2 percentage point decline in the proportion getting a grade a c in english, despite the government's focus on the subject. Vernon coaker, the schools minister, said: the improvements in maths grades are particularly welcome and reflect our sustained focus on getting the basics right. We are not complacent, and are targeting our efforts on ensuring that every child performs to their full potential. From next year we are introducing new gcses in english, mathematics and ict to strengthen their functional skills content. Jim sinclair, director of the joint council for qualifications which represents the exam boards, said: this is a day of celebration for students and their teachers.

There has been good performance overall across most subjects including mathematics and languages. The core subjects of english, mathematics and science continue to dominate and account for almost half of the full course entry. The education secretary, alan johnson, today announced plans to scrap gcse coursework in maths and introduce supervision in other subjects in a bid to curb cheating. In his address to the labour party conference in manchester, mr johnson admitted that the government had been forced to revise pupil coursework in light of modern technology, which saw students seeking to gain an unfair advantage by lifting material from the internet.

We will remove all gcse coursework from maths and, in other subjects, coursework will be supervised, said the minister widely tipped to stand for the deputy or possible leadership post of the labour party. We have one of the most rigorous exam systems in the world we can not have it devalued and undermined by the few who cheat by copying from the internet. Mr johnson, who left school at 16 with no qualifications, used his keynote speech to signal the government's ongoing commitment to education from the cradle to the grave , vowing to ensure that it remained a pivotal part of labour policy.

He pledged to tip the scales in favour of children in care, whom he admitted had been neglected by government. Very little had happened for these children between the cradle and the school gates, mr johnson said as he announced that new plans to turn the state into a good parent to the benefit of looked after children would be unveiled next month. These proposals would include an extra 100 for the child trust funds of looked after children for every year they were in care to help build for their future. These children would also benefit from a new 2,0 bursary to help them through university, mr johnson said. Some of these children escape the most terrible abuse and neglect in their own family only to experience the chill indifference of their proxy parent the state.

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Bouncing them from one location to the next, dumping them in the worst schools and forcing them to fend for themselves from the tender age of 16. We will seek out the most successful schools for our children in care just as good parents would. The minister also said public schools should justify their charitable status by having to open their gates to local children. Every child in our society must have access to the educational opportunities that have always been available to a small elite, mr johnson told delegates. I want these schools to open their gates to all children in the community surely this is what their charitable status is for.

Mr johnson went on to highlight new saturday morning school sessions to boost children's educational and cultural development, and the rolling out of extended schools. Mr johnson also announced a 40m fund to buy the equipment and facilities necessary to offer new diplomas that will provide mixed academic and vocational routes for young people to provide a better workforce. We will continue our process of reform and investment in fe, which is essential to our education programme, he said. Mr johnson's speech was welcomed by the national union of teachers, which said the minister was starting to understand the issues facing education today. His commitment to improving the education and lives of young people in care is highly commendable, said its general secretary, steve sinnott.

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There are some subjects for which it is totally inappropriate i hope however that coursework is retained for subjects such as the arts, geography and history. He added: the secretary of state needs to talk to teachers and others to ensure that the type of opportunities he clearly wants to give to all are managed in a way that is most effective for both pupils, teachers and the wider community. Meanwhile, the general secretary of the national association of schoolmasters union of women teachers, chris keates, said: the focus on tackling disadvantage which denies looked after children access to high quality educational opportunities is to be applauded. It was refreshing and inspiring to hear the passion with which alan johnson spoke about improving the life chances of the most vulnerable children in society.

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These appear to be a reaction to claims of widespread plagiarism and cheating through the use of the internet. Nasuwt remains to be convinced that the solution of 'supervised coursework' will address these problems. We are offering 10ticks registered users £15 off any website in a wallet gifts. Go to w.websiteboffin.co.uk and type ticks in the promotional box on buying.

mathematical genetics simon baron cohen, professor of developmental psychopathology and dr lindsey kent from cambridge university are running the world's first study into the possibility of a maths gene. With the use of an online maths test and a cheek swab, they may soon discover whether a child's genes determine if they find algebra easy or if they are best suited to a career in pr. They hope that their discoveries may be relevant to understanding disabilities such as dyscalculia. Already simon cousin of comedian sacha baron cohen ali g has conducted studies on 800 cambridge graduates which found that being good at maths correlates highly with musical ability and spacial awareness. This study also showed a relationship between being good at maths and autistic disorders. This has been highlighted in mark hadon's best selling book, the curious incident of the dog in tne nighttime where the main character has asperger's syndrome.

And where does he start? 'it is a bit like turning over a pebble on the beach looking for a pearl, but we're not thinking in terms of a single, simple gene. We don't know how many genes may be involved, though given what we know about about the link between maths ability and the mental rotation test where men are quicker, it might be sex linked,' he said. If it is gene based, and children can be identified, should children be allowed to drop mathematics well before 16? over to you. Lastly, the second number's first, second, third, fourth and fifth digit are the same as the first numbers second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth digits respectively. Further open ended task: why does this work? primary school bundle many primary schools have been asking to have access to 10ticks worksheets, but found the costs prohibitive for smaller primary school budgets. This is available to any school where the oldest pupil is a year 6 pupil or below, or the school such as a pru has less than 100 pupils.