Summary
TODAY'S A-level results show improved results from candidates for the 27th year in a row, with record numbers of A-grades. Inevitably, this has provoked soulsearching -- the heads of both the major exam boards have suggested that they may have to raise standards to reduce the numbers of top grades -- but one thing is true: most candidates have worked hard. Indeed, it can be argued that some have worked too hard; many students' lives have been dominated by the necessity to succeed, sometimes at the expense of their broad education.
Next year sees the introduction of the new, starred A-levels, which sets a new hurdle for aspiring university applicants. That should be the end of further tinkering with the system. The onus now should be on making A-levels credible. That means going further than ministers have yet done to diminish the importance of coursework and to cut back on turning subjects into manageable modules which pupils can resit almost indefinitely. It also means taking a hard look at the examination syllabuses. It is one thing to supervise the standards of marking, another to ensure that the syllabus is both broad and demanding. In some subjects, examination candidates are rewarded for performing to a formula, rather than for showing evidence of a wide range of reading and skills.See the full content of this document
Extract
Future of a-Levels [Edition 2]
The pupils w...
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