Echo readers have their say on future of GCSEs as educational leaders call for change

GCSEs should be reformed or scrapped, according to a majority of school and college leaders polled by a teachers' union.

We asked in our Facebook poll: “Do you think children are too young at 16 to be assessed?”

More than 700 readers took part in the online vote and in a near 50/50 split, 57% said children are not too young to be assessed at 16.

This is what you had to say:

Charlotte McGinn said: “Students get assessed for A levels and degrees, GCSEs help students to get used to learning and studying at a higher level in preparation for these. I feel the gap between GCSE and A level is already huge, it would not be of much benefit to make it even bigger.”

Lynne Veitch said: “Old enough to leave home, get a job, join the army and even to get married, so old enough to be assessed. It’s testing for much younger pupils that should be in question.”

Jon Crosby said: “They should work with companies to integrate children into society instead of saying people aren’t clever enough etc. You can train anybody to do anything, give them the environment to do that and it reduces anti-social behaviour and gives people that experience for people who would be classed as not smart enough to make a better future for themselves.”