Dear ms Asbali

Your opinion is clear. You thinks that GSCE is the most important thing during your youth but I do
not believe that is the case at all and this response is going to prove my point.

In my opinion the GCSE are too stressful for what it's worth as GCSE results just help you get into
college but it does not help with or outside. Nearly all 70% that you will learn in GCSE you will never
use in the real world or in college. The further support my argument that GCSE results are not the
end all be all is this quote from the article “Whether it’s Jeremy Clarkson’s now (in)famous smug
annual post reminding everyone he got a C and 2 Us in his A-Levels” you says this post was
smug and to stick it to the man but this is not the case. Jeremy Clarkson's post was to encourage
young people that failed their GCSE that they can still succeed and should continue working hard to
get a good life.

I believe that real world skill and job experience is just as important as GCSE results. I believe this
because jobs look for work experience and skilled workers not studious people that are only book
smart. As you believe that “In an increasingly competitive job market, employers look for
academic success because it’s considered the more reliable litmus test.” this could baffled me
as most of my older cousins have struggled getting jobs not because of bad grades in GCSE or
not graduating from a prestigious college as they didn't even look into their grades just if the
university degrees where legit they only struggled because of the lack of work experiences the
only types of jobs that need book smart people are theoretical science.

I think that extra curricular activities are important too but you, the author, have written “
but when I see it now, the teacher in me feels it could be selling an unfairly idealistic view of
the world outside of school to kids who are going to be in for a rude awakening when they
enter it.” this quote shows that you clearly think that grades are the only important thing in
school academically wise you think succeeding without good grades in GCSE are just a
fantasy but i do not believe its is just a fantasy as extracurricular activities can carry you
forward into university as you can get scholarships for the typical activities like sports but a
class president or house leader that gets decent grades or even slightly below average grades
they can still get into good universities because it shows that these people are social and can
deal with unexpected situations and work with different people. It show that they can handle
pressure even if they are not book smart.

In conclusion i do agree with your point that GCSE are important too, especially depending
on what you are planning to do in the future but it is not the end all and be all of school.
GCSE are not the most important thing in school and to get jobs and university as i have
showed work experiences/ internships and extracurricular activities are just as important if
not more important. That being said, if you have work experience and or extracurricular
activities, having good GCSE grades will only boost your chances of success in life. I believe
that you should take any chance you can get in your youth as you may never get another.

Sincerely Saad