Making the grade
Published Date: 29 Mar 2022Should you have to pass English and Maths GCSE to do a degree?
In England the Government has recently announced that they are considering making changes to eligibility for student loans for university degree courses. They plan to introduce minimum eligibility requirements. One option will be requiring applicants to have passed Maths and English GCSE (i.e. grade 4) to receive a loan.
The Government says it is proposing this change because ‘a university degree should not be the default choice for everyone’, arguing that a ‘significant number of students are being encouraged to enrol on degree courses for which they are poorly equipped’. They want to encourage more young people to take Level 4 or 5 courses in technical subjects. These would be shorter higher education courses but closely linked to specific jobs for which you need technical skills (e.g. electrical engineering).
We don’t disagree with more young people taking Level 4 and 5 courses and having stronger routes to employment. However, we are concerned that an assumption is being made that because a young person has not passed Maths or English GCSE, they are poorly equipped to complete a degree.
There are deaf people, particularly those who use British Sign Language (BSL) as their main language, who have achieved university degrees despite not having passed GCSE English. They have accessed the complex language of lectures through BSL interpreters. Some have submitted assignments in BSL using video which are then interpreted into English for marking. They can have access to specialist tutors to support with accessing literature and essay writing.
We believe any blanket policy without exemptions for deaf people who are fluent in BSL will be discriminatory. The Government is also considering introducing an ‘EE’ criteria – two A-level passes or pass in equivalent vocational qualification (e.g. Level 3 BTEC) which we would prefer because it means a young person could prove their ability to study in other subjects than Maths and English.
Share your story
Have you been to university, or are you applying despite not having passed English or Maths GCSE? Or are you a parent of a young person in this situation? We would love to hear from you – please email us at [email protected]
The Government has a consultation out until 6 May 2022. We at the National Deaf Children’s Society will be responding but you can also send the Government your views: https://consult.education.gov.uk/higher-education-reform/higher-education-he-reform/
If you live in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland then these changes will not affect you.