Points Mean Prizes: A University Place ; a-Levels Are the Most Popular Form of Post- 16 Education but the Points-Led Ib Diploma Is Catching Up Fast, Says Sarah Richardson

Evening Standard - London › September 22, 2009

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Summary

GOVERNMENT tinkering with the A-level system and a burgeoning school culture of chasing league table success are affecting the quality of post-16 education, according to a recent survey of university admissions officers. the volume of Government initiatives is cited by 82 per cent of officers as putting pressure on pupils and teachers and forcing out independent thinking and creativity, the qualities most prized by universities as school and colleges.

The inflexibility of curricula and restrictions on teachers' creativity is also mentioned by 67 per cent as a factor threatening teaching quality: 78 per cent of officers feel that schools are simply "teaching to the test".

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Points Mean Prizes: A University Place ; a-Levels Are the Most Popular Form of Post- 16 Education but the Points-Led Ib Diploma Is Catching Up Fast, Says Sarah Richardson

The research, conducted annually on behalf of ACS International Schools, shows that the new diplomas receive good support among university admissions officers who feel that the new qualification develops independent thinking and creativity more effectively than traditi...

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