Year 1984

DateTypeEvent
1984-02-01In 1984 the half penny is no longer legal tender in the United Kingdom.
1984-02-07In 1984 Captain Bruce McCandless became the first human to experience free flight in space. The astronaut left the United States ‘Challenger shuttle and floated into space without a safety line. He then ignited his rocket backpack, which he had designed and flew approximately 320 ft from the shuttle. While in orbit at a height of 170 miles above the Earth, Captain McCandless was travelling at 175,000mph, as was the Challenger. Using his backpack he navigated his way back to the safety of the shuttle.
1984-04-23

 

On this day in 1984 The Virus which causes the deadly ‘Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome” or Aids was first discovered. Since the discovery of Aids in the United Sates 1981 it had been identified all over the world but the cause of the syndrome had not yet been identified. The identification of the virus meant that the production of blood test could be initiated which would help reduce the spread of the Aids. It was initially known as the HTLV-3 virus but in 1987 it became known as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV. The virus was known to have been spread through the transfer of human bodily fluids and was initially found in homosexual men and drug users that shared needles but it soon spread to many other demographics. Until the possibility of blood test people were able to get the virus from infected blood during transfusions and this discovery saved millions form a possible pandemic.

 

1984-06-20

In 1984 Education Secretary Sir Keith Joseph announced that O-Levels and CSE’s will be replaced with GCSE’s.

In 1947 the school leaving age in England, Wales and Northern Ireland increased from 14 to 15 years and with this, there was also an increase in subjects studied. In 1951 a new academic qualification was established named the General Certificate of Education or GCE which replaced the School Certificate or SC and the Higher School Certificate or HSC.

Initially, the CSE consisted of the O-Level or Ordinary Level qualification with the option to continue with education for a further 2 years and pass another exam to earn an A-Level or Advanced Level qualification. In 1965 the O-Level exam was given to the top 25% of the students with the new CSE available for the less advanced students. In addition to these qualifications, there were further options such as the Advanced Ordinary Level or A-O Level, or the S-Level or Scholarship Level qualification for exceptional A-Level students.

On the 20th of June 1984, the Education Secretary Sir Keith Joseph announced that O-Levels and CSEs would be replaced with a new qualification known as GCSEs or General Certificates of Secondary Education. The first students began studying for the new type of Exam in the Autumn of 1986 in preparation for the exams in 1988. Sir Keith explained that the new exams will be marked based on an absolute standard of Knowledge throughout the country as opposed to the old system that graded students on their knowledge compared to other students taking the exam. The GCSE exam results will be marked from A* - G with anything below an E considered a failing grade. Sir Keith stated that the exams would be tougher but clearer and fairer and instead of the 29 governing bodies that existed there would be only 5 throughout Britain. The exam change was a success and was popular with many teachers, but many people, particularly those who studied under the old system, claimed that the new exams were easier, especially with the general increase in higher grades over the years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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