Natural History GCSE

That does sound good: I can think of one of my GC who would love this. Her Daddy is a Zoology graduate.

I have nothing at all against this as a subject.

However, at a time when, according to Rachel Reeves, there is no money available, why are we messing around introducing new GCSE subjects when we need to be concentrating more on children with special educational needs and disabilities across the age groups?

My 2 youngest GD's who are a few years off GCSE will be very excited about this. Just up their street.

MartavTaurus

I have nothing at all against this as a subject.

However, at a time when, according to Rachel Reeves, there is no money available, why are we messing around introducing new GCSE subjects when we need to be concentrating more on children with special educational needs and disabilities across the age groups?

Perhaps those children would benefit from the subject, too?

Basgetti

MartavTaurus

I have nothing at all against this as a subject.

However, at a time when, according to Rachel Reeves, there is no money available, why are we messing around introducing new GCSE subjects when we need to be concentrating more on children with special educational needs and disabilities across the age groups?

Perhaps those children would benefit from the subject, too?

Quite probably. I didn't say they wouldn't benefit.

But there's far more to be ironed out for them in terms of their all round education between years 1 and 9 before they embark on a science based GCSE, imo.

If money were no object, then no problem.

Absolutely everyone would benefit from this vital subject. If we don’t understand the natural world we live in then we are the poorer for it.

You've only got to see how flummoxed teams on University Challenge are when asked very simple questions about Natural History to know how much this is needed. They can tell you about a bird's body on a molecular level, but are barely able to tell the difference between a Blackbird and a Crow.

I would have absolutely loved natural history lessons at school.
The nearest i could get was biology; dissecting cow's eyes and other horrible stuff.

All the usual questions.
Who will teach it? Putting together a new 5 term GCSE is a lot of work for one person.
How will it fit into an already overflowing timetable? If it goes into the options system, there already aren't enough science teachers, this will complicate timetabling hugely.
Is this to push Biology aside in Double or Triple Science? There must be overlap

Exactly what I thought, Chardy.
Let's just drop modern foreign languages, let's just train more (non-existent) science teachers, let's change the curriculum all over again!

I think it’s brilliant My best friends 11 year old has high functioning Autism and dyslexic he is a complete whizz kid with anything to do with nature especially birds He eats, sleeps and draws every day and is very very knowledgable His parents send him to all sorts of nature activities including helping with ringing birds etc He has his own chickens, luckily they are well off and live in a country house He has met some of his TV hero’s However school is a very testing time for hi, he has little confidence in the classroom and just reasonable at his main lessons, he dreads going a lot of the time, and there are often tears. This would be the lift to his confidence he needs and I m sure he’s not alone. There must be many children especially in this time of climate troubles when our grandkids are very aware of the problems who would achieve more than learning French or Spanish when they can’t even read well in their own language. I had to do Latin which went right over my head, never needed to do it since the day I left school, same with algebra and geometry. I hated Shakespeare and still do, it was a complete waste of my time.
There must be so many more children like him who would handle something like this so much more than bashing away at compositions and algebra that you never use after you finish school
My dyslexic granddaughter who can’t spell for toffee is now a very high achiever with a first class honours degree and a distinction in her masters and a very good job to go to in a couple of months She used to hide in the classroom slumped down in her desk making no eye contact because she was so afraidshe d be asked to read something out loud
.
I think it’s great to have subjects appertaining to our world now and not stuck in the Middle Ages

What a wonderful post which resonates with me.
The description of your GD in her classroom setting brought tears to my eyes because this was my GD too. Struggling with Year 1 spellings when she was in Year 5. For the last 4 years she has been at a private specialist dyslexia school and the difference is remarkable.
Well done to your GD and her impressive achievements. I wish her well in the future.

I’m very relieved that Natural History is offered as a GCSE. It will keep two of my grandsons in education until 16. What about A level?