Coursework 'favours middle class children'

Many teachers fear that coursework favours middle class children and is vulnerable to internet-aided cheating, a survey shows today.

Well-motivated girls with supportive parents were most likely to benefit, while working class boys got the fewest advantages, the poll indicates.

While most teachers believed that pupils should do extended projects as part of their GCSEs, AS and A-levels, the National Union of Teachers survey shows they thought coursework was too time-consuming for pupils and staff.

Nevertheless, more than six out of 10 of the 1,707 NUT members who took part in the survey said coursework should contribute towards final grades in all three qualifications.

There was least support for coursework at AS-level, with 61 per cent of teachers in favour. Support rose to 64 per cent in the case of A-levels, while 73 per cent of NUT members supported coursework being part of GCSEs.

Supporters said coursework helped pupils learn independent study skills. But detractors said it was difficult to tell if a piece of work was the student's own, or if it had been merely downloaded from the internet.

Some felt coursework penalised boys, especially those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.