Special Education

GCSE (General Certificate of Seconadary Education) and UK Education Standards:GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) are considered as a benchmark for taking admissions in the higher level of Education in the UK. This fact must be taken into consideration that this is the last step for students before entering into the higher level as GCSE marks will be provided or presented in their resumes as the GCSE Exams are the last step of academic education for some of the students. By taking good marks in these exams a student can ensure himself or herself that he or she could get in a good university or college as this will impact their professional career a great deal.As far as GCSE exams are concerned, student must understand the way of studying and should to learn or develop skills which are required or mandatory to be able to perform effectively at the time of GCSE Exams. First of all the participants must be aware of the fact that they should prepare themselves accordingly as revise your syllabus more often after completion of the subject because it will eliminate or decrease the chances of mistakes at a certain level while for theoretical courses student must try to clear the concepts about the topics which will be covered in the syllabus.In the subjects of Science and Mathematics, these are more regarded as applied in a sense of their practical nature so the students are advised to practice more and more to get decent enough marks in GCSE exams. While in context of education system prevailing in the UK origin, GCSE exams has certain importance in the area of education which suggests that one needs to be effective enough to clear their subjects with flying colors. This attitude will enable students to pursue their professional career in a right direction.As a matter of fact, there are some observations and doubts found regarding the education system of the UK as it will harm the progress of GCSE exams to a great effect. For the sake of continual success and growth in GCSE exams, the education system must be improved in a way that it ensures the effectiveness of GCSE exams in the long run. Their education must be free from political syndrome and other things because it will harm the progress of the UK in a great way. The curriculum or syllabus must be designed in a way that fulfills the requirement of modern era and there must be a systematic review which should be applied on frequently basis as a check on current education policies and laws so that the importance of GCSE exams must be kept intact.It should be taken into consideration that if desired results have to be achieved, there must be a support which should be provided from quality educational institutes, as it will help the students to remain focused for their GCSE exams preparations. Therefore students should study in an institute where quality education is provided and teachers are available to make students learn the technique and skill to deliver the desired results in the end.

You probably already know that the current state of mathematics education in this country is very bad. What you may not know is exactly how bad. Harvard recently released to the news media the results of a study about mathematics. Their findings: (1) the US currently ranks 31st out of 56 countries, and (2) only 6% of our high school students take higher level math courses. Another statistic you may not have heard (except from me) is that the failure rate for first year Algebra students is a deplorable 50%. That statistic has direct bearing on the Harvard results; and, as if these statistics aren’t bad enough, you need to understand that the 50% failure rate was true in 1972 when I started teaching and it is still true today. Doesn’t this just make you want to shout “Why isn’t anyone doing anything about this?”In reality, mathematics educators, education specialists (seems like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?), and universities have been trying for over 40 years to make positive changes. During my lifetime I have experienced, to varying degrees, at least six different methodological changes. (1) I grew up using the “skill and drill” of the old days. This method produced temporarily strong basic skills but very weak application or understanding; and without the latter, the former fades quickly. (2) In 1972, I started teaching just after the pendulum swing to “New Math.” All math books started with a chapter on set theory, out went rote memory, and in came understanding. In theory, if students understood the why of mathematics, then they would create the skills on their own. Of course, none of that happened, and mathematical understanding actually decreased. It is now universally agreed upon that “New Math” was a miserable failure. Fortunately for me, I was raising a family during most of those years and didn’t have to teach it very long; but I often wish that we could apologize to the students of the 70’s and early 80’s. “New Math” caused you more harm than good. That shouldn’t have happened.Since the final death of “New Math” in the early 80’s, there has been no overriding mathematical philosophy for the country. Instead, different states–even individual school districts–have been searching for that perfect solution. (3) Some school districts returned to “skill and drill” by adopting the Saxon method. Of course, the problems that existed with “skill and drill” the first time still existed. Returning to a method that was unsuccessful before is not logical. Math people should know better. (4) In 1983, the University of Chicago conducted a great deal of research into why Algebra students were failing in large numbers. Then they created an entirely different approach to teaching mathematics. In 1988, I was very fortunate to have been working in Colorado Springs when my district (Air Academy School District #20) adopted the UCSMP (University of Chicago School Mathematics Project) textbook series. UCSMP was truly revolutionary and inspired. To learn more about how it came to be and how it was different, read my article “Frustrated With Everyday Mathematics/UCSMP? Why Is It So Different?” For the first time ever I saw large numbers of students improve both their basic skills and their understanding of mathematics. UCSMP continues to this day in various parts of the country, although the extreme difference in approach coupled with the fact that our society is now highly mobile have caused major difficulties, especially for parents. For UCSMP to have a positive impact on the country, it would have to be adopted by all schools. And we all know that will never happen.Two other approaches bouncing around the country are (5) Project-based and (6) Activity-based programs. Project-based programs give classes a “situation” and that situation is worked on for weeks or months. The Pit and the Pendulum is the project I have heard the most about. This approach works well with certain students, but you haven’t read anything about startling success because that hasn’t happened. Activity-based programs are similar to project-based programs except for length of time spent on the activity. The activities might last a day or a week, and then change to another activity. In both of these methods, the math skills are taught as they are encountered in the situation. Classroom management issues arise with both of these methods. And, again, you aren’t hearing shouts of joy over the positive benefits to mathematical understanding.In addition to the philosophical changes, there have been many smaller changes in teaching techniques and classroom changes. Some still exist in some places, but most have been replaced with the newest and improved techniques. Cooperative learning was all the rage for a time and it is still a useful technique. I have lost count of how many of these teaching fads have come and gone over the past 40 years. You will notice, however, that the failure rate remains unchanged. So where are things now? Floundering. While school districts and states are bouncing around trying to find that magical solution, No Child Left Behind is slowly but surely destroying what little enthusiasm for learning still exists. No Child Left Behind may very well be the final death knell for mathematics education in this country.