looking back to 1963!
- Craig Handley
- Jun 16
- 1 min read
Had a fascinating moment in my adult French conversation class today! One of my lovely students brought in an old French exam paper to show me…… from 1963!
As a French teacher, looking through it was eye-opening. The level of vocabulary, complex grammar structures and the overall expectations of 16-year-olds back then were remarkably high compared to the modern GCSE papers we see in the UK today. On the other side of this paper are 6 simple drawings depicting a donkey ride!
It really makes you appreciate the standard that was set and it sparked a great discussion in our French conversation class about how education has shifted over the decades.
It got me thinking:
Do you think today's GCSEs have been "dumbed down" or have they just evolved to focus on practical communication rather than rigorous academic challenge? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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