Congratulations abound but A-level debate goes on
The debate over the quality of this year’s A-level results shows no sign of abating today as it was revealed the pass rate has gone up once again.
Such is the media speculation about the qualifications that, for the first time, the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) decided to allow students the chance to read their results before making the national figures public.
While critics of the system have rushed to congratulate this year’s candidates, teaching unions have led the calls for a reform of the A-levels qualification, many of them urging the recommendations of last year’s Tomlinson review to be put into practice.
This would replace A-levels with a European-style diploma that would integrate academic and vocational qualifications and give students the opportunity to study a wider range of subjects.
The Secondary Heads Association (SHA) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) are both in favour of reform, with the latter saying A-levels are the “wrong exam for the 21st century”, as they fail to give students the skills they need for the wider workplace.
The British Chamber of Commerce has echoed this concern about the skills A-levels teach pupils, while the Liberal Democrats have dismissed the exams as failing to stretch students, teach them the right skills or indicate to universities who they should accept.
The voices in support of A-levels are just as strong, however, with organisations such as the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) recognising its failings – particularly the lack of students studying science and languages – but insisting the system must remain.
Schools minister Lord Adonis yesterday delivered a detailed defence of the system, saying it had the government’s full support, and today welcomed the improved grades as demonstration of the improvement in teaching and hard work by students.
This was supported by Ellie Johnson Searle, JCQ director, who told reporters: “The A-level is the absolute gold standard and it has an international reputation.
“The standards are the same year on year and everyone can be confident about this performance. We are reaping the benefits of improved teaching.”
Lord Adonis has admitted that changes need to be made to make it easier for university admissions tutors to distinguish the excellent students from those that are simply good, which is why he pledged to allow universities access to individual module marks.
This approach has been welcomed by the Conservatives, but shadow education secretary David Cameron has also called on the government to make its position on the subject clear.
While he insisted he was personally a huge supporter of the system, he said the government was “in some confusion” about its position, given that its own advisory body, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), has called for A-levels to be scrapped.
Rather hopefully perhaps, Mr Cameron called for ministers to “close down the sterile debate” that takes place every year about A-levels.
