“67.4% Pass Rate – What GCSE Results Reveal About Inequality in Education”

GCSE Results, Shakespeare & The Fight for Quality Education

Written by TCSL2022 x StyledbyClaude | Aquayemi-Claude Akinsanya

The GCSE pass rate has fallen once again only 67.4% of all grades in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland reached 4/C and above. Behind the statistics are young people under immense pressure, navigating disrupted learning, reduced access to support, and the deep inequalities that shape the British education system.

But the story goes beyond exam results. At the heart of English Literature lies an ongoing debate: should Shakespeare remain a central, government-mandated fixture in GCSEs, or should modern works from novels to social media storytelling on Instagram and TikTok take its place?
Some educators argue Shakespeare still matters: his themes of power, love, betrayal, and ambition remain timeless, teaching the craft of language and shaping English itself. Others see the fixation as exclusionary, a relic that risks leaving behind students from diverse backgrounds who find little relevance in Elizabethan English.

Adding to the controversy, exam boards have faced fines for repeated errors in Shakespeare-related papers. These mistakes reinforce a central truth: education should be about quality, not quantity. It should empower learners, not entrap them in outdated hierarchies.

The challenges are not only literary. Social class divisions and racial exclusion remain glaring injustices in British education.

These inequalities strip students of opportunities, silencing talent and ambition before it even begins to bloom.
That’s why the fight for SDG4: Quality Education is urgent. Education must be a human right, rooted in fairness, creativity, and inclusion. Every student deserves a chance to see themselves reflected in the curriculum, and to thrive in a system that values their voice, their culture, and their potential.
GCSE results are more than grades on paper. They are a reflection of the society we are building. The question remains: do we want an education system that recycles old inequalities, or one that creates a future where every young person has the chance to succeed?

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