Snowflake Alert - Pupils are being reduced to tears by the tough new GCSE and A-level papers as YouTube star Jade Bowler, 18, records herself sobbing after a gruelling biology exam

Pupils have been left in tears after sitting tougher GCSEs and A-levels in the biggest exam shake-up in a generation. Teenagers have had panic attacks, been sick or collapsed exhausted at their desks after exams, with some sitting more than 30 papers.

Teachers say pupils have been left feeling demoralised after being unable to finish papers and failing to understand all the questions. Reforms mean that around 750,000 teenagers are sitting tougher GCSEs and A-levels this summer. New GCSEs will be graded 1 to 9, with 9 being the top grade, to allow more differentiation between the highest performing pupils.

The changes were triggered by former education secretary Michael Gove following research showing British pupils were falling behind peers in other countries.

Employers have long complained that youngsters do not leave school with the right skills and campaigners have pointed to a 'dumbing down' of the curriculum under the previous Labour government.

But students have criticised the exams on social media, with many saying they left them in tears.

Emma Wickham tweeted: 'Don't think I've ever cried so much about school till A-levels!! Stressed is not even the word, someone put me out of my misery.'

Kirsty Scott said her history exam 'was genuinely the hardest one I've sat so far'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5828077/Pupils-reduced-tears-tough-new-GCSE-level-papers.html

This is what happens when teachers and parents mollycoddle a generation of children

These kids need to learn to toughen up, as quite frankly they have it very easy compared to millions of children elsewhere in the world.

+1.

What sort of Wanker would begrudge Children that have just sat tougher exams then they have ever before, if kids are going for 100% then yes there is always tears and anxiety.

Not every teen is braindead thug that didn't give a shot about school that believes in the bad old days where they can't be a 'man' if they show emotions.
If you care about something than emotions are normal. the sooner we purge the Pro-suicide, anti-Expression of Emotion attitude of the Commentary on the OP from society the better.

nicko wrote:+1.

Indeed mate and glad to see that we are making such qualifications in line with other nations.

Like I say, its been down to a generation of parents and teacher mollycuddling children

I do not see other countries, where they excell and have an ethos instilled to work hard and do better for themselves, crying, but actually achieving. 

I remeber when I did my grade 8 on the violin for the first time at 14. Its hard for anyone. I failed and did not cry, but made me determined to succeed and try again. Of which I did. Helped and pushed by my parents/siblings at the time. I then went onto also succeed with the Viola and piano also. Hence why those upset, lack determination. You pick yourself up and try again.

To say that this means someone lacks emotion, when my views are positive for people to succeed and not as seen here blame the difficulty of the exam. Shows what is wrong and how bad negativity can lead to people not taking on board they have failed and then be determined to succeed. What is needed is for parents and teachers to instill a hard work ethic in children and if they fail to try again and be determined to succeed. The points raised by the village idiot, are nothing I have stated or claim, but this is what happens when people invent lies to try and make their own leftist agenda fit to nothing I have even stated.

I have just come back from a few days away with grandsons.
One of them is at uni, last year he had a project that will make a difference to his overall exam results this year.
He was in a team with four other students, two of them have regular counselling sessions, one of the lads is treated for suicidal thoughts. Its not unusual for kids of school and college age to need therapy for stress and anxiety.

Maybe the culture we now live in, fragmented families and increased social networking rather than social contact has something to do with youths mental fragility.

As you go through school/college/uni etc... aren't you always going to sit tougher exams than the last one, as you progress to each new level of qualification...?


Therefore... for every exam passed, the next level exam will always be the hardest you've ever sat... wouldn't it...!?


But having said that... exams are easy if you are bright enough and competent enough (in the subject) to pass them...!


So... all that 'boo hoo' cry baby bollocks about how hard it all was, is really just an admission of not being good enough and makes them look a twat...!


How do any of these types think they are justifying their worthiness of a decent/top job when they crumble and turn into gibbering wrecks at the first sign of any pressure, and start crying about how hard it all is... when all they are being asked for are answers that they should already know, in subjects that they have supposed to have studied for long enough, and who are claiming to be competent enough in, to be able to pass the relevant exam...!

From the OP...


"...Teachers say pupils have been... being unable to finish papers and failing to understand all the questions..."


Isn't it normal for some to not be able enough to finish the exam papers and some to not be able enough to understand all the questions...!?

My son is studying for A levels, he works Fucking hard, every night after school, revising for hours.

Perhaps the exams are tough, but you do have to put the work in.

Exams are easy if you have good knowledge and good understanding of the subjects...


It's the learning that takes the effort... and is dependant on ability, not just the time spent trying...

The whole point of exams/qualifications is about making candidates demonstrate their level of knowledge and understanding of a subject... with some questions being specifically designed to require them to show their level of intellectual ability by making them have to be applying that knowledge/understanding along with clever thinking, to be able to reach the required answers...!


In other words... it's not about just being able to repeat certain words/names/phrases/rules/equations etc from memory etc... ie it is not about seeing who is the best at repeating things from memory after having learned it all in 'parrot fashion' style... it is about making candidates have to work through a challenging thought process to reach the answers... requiring a certain level of knowledge/understanding AS WELL AS a certain level of intelligence, to be able to successfully reach the correct answers...!


And to put things simply and honestly... those who struggle so much that they run out of time before answering all the questions and/or fail to even understand the questions... are frankly not good enough to even be sitting the exam... and should never have been entered for it in the first place!!!

that's not true tommy
some exams are purposely created so you can't finish the and there are question you are not expected to get correct.

it is often the case in High level exams that 90% will be course work but there will be another 10% that you needed to go Beyond the course work to answer correctly. this is how you split the top 5% of students. the top 5% will all get the 90% that was course work correct but only the top 1% or 2% will be able to the majority of the last 10% that is 'beyond the course work'.