Writing for Belfast Live, Sinn Féin MLA and Education Committee member Danny Baker sets out his thoughts on the Minister’s exam reform proposals
Education should be about unlocking potential, not restricting it. Yet the DUP Education Minister’s latest plans for exam and assessment reform risk doing exactly that.
The minister’s proposals to scrap AS levels and remove coursework would strip away the very opportunities that allow young people to succeed.
These reforms would narrow learning, increase pressure and reward only a limited kind of achievement. Instead of encouraging a balanced approach to education, they risk turning our schools into exam factories.
Coursework is not an easy route, but it gives pupils the chance to demonstrate their understanding over time and to be rewarded for consistent effort. Removing it will close that door for many.
I have spoken to many young people and school leaders who are deeply concerned about the direction the minister is taking our education system.
School leaders are being overwhelmed by consultations and surveys. This fast-paced approach to change is reckless.
I challenged the minister directly at the Education Committee because I believe these changes will harm the well-being of our young people. Placing all the weight on a single set of final exams will heighten stress and anxiety, not reduce it.
Education should build confidence and understanding. Paul Givan’s approach will undermine that.
The minister claims this is about reducing testing, but that does not stand up to scrutiny, while he continues to defend academic selection at age ten and eleven. Nothing warps our curriculum more than the transfer test, and nothing creates more needless pressure on children at such a young age.
Assessment reform should be about fairness and opportunity. It should recognise that pupils learn in different ways and that their abilities cannot be measured by a single high-stakes exam.
Our vision is for a system that supports teachers, values continuous learning and gives every child a genuine chance to reach their full potential. That is how we build an education system that works for everyone, not just a few.
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