Dumbing down Physics GCSE?

Michael de Podesta, a physicist and Science Ambassador at the NPL has stimulated a lively debate about the quality of the GCSE physics curriculum in a post on the "How should we teach science?" blog.

He reports on a meeting he attended with the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, the QCDA, and highlights examples of what he sees as the dumbing down of the physics curriculum.

The topic has attracted several comments, with some calling for the Institute of Physics to take a stand (as the Royal Society of Chemistry has done for chemistry teaching in schools). What do you think? Is school teaching turning bright pupils of science?