Too Few GCSE Options

The first year to join JRCS (Jo Richardson Community School), now year nine, have recently taken their GCSE Options. The school made it mandatory to take English, Maths, Science, ICT, P.E and Civics. The school allows the students to select another three subjects. Most employers do not consider P.E and Civics as proper GCSEs, and so the students are left with seven GCSEs.

In my opinion seven GCSEs are two few. GCSEs are an important factor to an employer employing someone, having seven GCSEs will impede students from getting good jobs and will restrict them in what jobs they can get. This is inequitable, as the students should be given a larger freedom to select what GCSEs they wish to undertake. Also most decent occupations require a wide(r) range of GCSEs. Most other schools give their students greater freedom of choice, and a greater freedom of quantity.

The school argues that it is better to get seven A*s than 13 Bs and Cs. While this statement is very true, the school is assuming that their students are incapable of spending enough effort and distributing their time to get good grades in each. While this may well decrease the high-grade level for some subjects, it allows the students to have a larger variety of GCSEs and more of a chance of a better occupation. Besides, who needs and A* in Civics?