A GCSE French exam has come under fire after asking pupils to translate a passage about a 'bisexual sister, her divorced parents and jobless brother'. Critics argue that the content is more about promoting social values than testing language skills.
Exam Board Under Fire
One of the country's largest examining boards, Pearson Edexcel, was lambasted by parents, teachers, and pupils for what they described as 'engineering woke material' into a recent listening and translation exam. Pupils were left perplexed when an audio passage began detailing a fictional French family, including a 'bisexual sister'. Some students thought they heard 'my little sister is sexual' and left the exam hall mystified.
Parental Concerns
The exam also referenced the bisexual sister's jobless brother and divorced parents. One mother of a 16-year-old boy who took the exam told The Times that parents and pupils wanted a balance between everyday phrases and understanding the origins of the language. She said: 'He was mortified, not at the idea that the concept of bisexuality came up... but that it was shoehorned into a French exam. It's just not appropriate in that context.'
Board's Response
A spokesman for Pearson Edexcel said: 'We regularly review our content, and we will continue to do so with the French listening exam.' The board has faced increasing scrutiny over the inclusion of social issues in language exams.
