PUPILS at Shenfield High School have criticised Michael Gove's "plan" to introduce an A-level system which will make the study of some subjects compulsory.
The Advanced Baccalaureate, which could be introduced by 2015, will force students opting for similar subjects to study an AS Level in a contrasting area.
Education analysts believe the aim is to encourage students to enter more traditional subjects, such as sciences, languages and humanities, which act as a gateway to the most prestigious degree courses.
It is understood that the A-Bacc will become part of the Government's league tables, by which schools are judged.
When the Gazette sat down with a group of eight 15-17-year-olds from Shenfield High School, their message was clear. They believe the system will be a retrograde step, which would drive a wedge between children from different backgrounds.
Eamon Sartipi is in Year 13 at Shenfield and is hoping to study politics at university.
The 17-year-old said: "This is just going to make the gap bigger between the people that go to an independent school or come from rich backgrounds and those who don't.
"It sends out a signal that if you don't do the A-Bacc then you're somehow less able, but that's just not true or fair."
News of the reorganisation surfaced in a newspaper earlier this month, which revealed the A-Bacc will also bring back the single final exam system.
Sixth formers will also be required to write a 5,000-word essay and undertake voluntary work.
Year 11 pupil Louise Ansell, 15, said ending the modular exam system will be a "shock" and a disadvantage for many students, whose style of learning isn't suited to one final exam.
She added: "I don't think it's right that we will be forced to do something (a subject) that we might not need in our future just to get into university."
Jake Robinson, also 15, is planning to take A levels and says the Government proposal would be harmful to some students' education.
"The Government says it's all about choice but it seems that it's a false promise of choice," he said.
"The new qualification seems to be to the detriment of everything else and you just cannot expect everyone to have the same learning pathway."
Also at the discussion was head teacher Carole Herman.
She says a range of further education choices must be given to children at schools and Shenfield is already offering its version of the A-Bacc to those that apply for it through the Extended Project Qualification.
The A-Bacc follows hot on the heels of the E-Bacc, which was announced last year as a GCSE school league table measure which records the pass rate on a combination of English, maths, a science, a modern language and a humanity.
Also at the Alexander Lane school's debate, were Susan Thompson, the sixth form assistant progress leader, Jack Potticary and Sophie Addison from Year 11 and Chloe Fenn, Rachel Bibby and Robbie Jarvis from Year 13.
