If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Read the community guidelines before posting ✨
Options
A Levels...
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
So, now we are in a crisis of confidence over the recent A levels results.
How far do you think this goes? Do you believe that the Govt would instruct the boards to mark low, or do you think that there is nothing in the stories at all?
Could this bring the Govt down...if it is proved that they colluded in such an act?
How far do you think this goes? Do you believe that the Govt would instruct the boards to mark low, or do you think that there is nothing in the stories at all?
Could this bring the Govt down...if it is proved that they colluded in such an act?
0
Comments
i think the examining board marked some down becasue other wise the pass rate would have been atronomical, and raise questions.
That was my theory, but i haven't really thought about it that hard....
this is what i think
Schools and colleges should teach their pupils about a subject, so they leave with a good understanding, and potentail to go further into a subject.
Schools should not teach their pupils to pass an exam at the end of 2 years, or write a specific bit of coursework,
Admittedly this leaves us with the situation that a pass from one school is worth more than a pass from another...
While i'm on the subject of schooling i also think schools should have more freedom to expel pupils permanatly.
If Estelle Morris is found to have had any part in this, I think her head should roll.
I was profiled to expect to acchive B-C grades, I got Ds because i was in a large and particularly good year.
As for the quality of a grade passes. Evidence suggests to me that schools seem to have become quite efficient of training our kids to pass exams, (ie Higher grades, more a grades etc)a general education creating more rounded seems to have been relegated to a secondary concern (IE complaints by universities and employers that school leavers lack basic skills).
If the government is involved in this, heads should roll
This runs contrary to earlier comments that because so many people passed the standards were lower, clearly if these reports are to be believed your results should have been higher and more people should have got higher grades.
The scandal is that the lower results may not have been as consequence of student ability, but of administrators decisions...
it's one thing to make the exams more difficult to distinguish between the good and the very good: quite another to bring people down so they look harder.
I really don't think it'll bring the govt down, though. for a start, I doubt it did go all the way to teh top; for anotehr thing, even if it did, they'd be very careful to hide it. But the very most that migth happen, and i think this is unlikely, is that morris will go. but I honestly don't think she's to blame; I think it's OCR acting on a perceived encouragemnt to amrk down which wasn't actually there.
As for the quality of a grade passes. Evidence suggests to me that schools seem to have become quite efficient of training our kids to pass exams, (ie Higher grades, more a grades etc)a general education creating more rounded seems to have been relegated to a secondary concern (IE complaints by universities and employers that school leavers lack basic skills).
Like I say, schools now teach you how to pass exams, where they used to give you an education.
The QCA's shallow and quite frankly unacceptable report said that nothing was wrong. Of course there wasn't! Exam results were in line with the grade boundaries. The problem is, the grade boundaries had been artificially changed by the QCA, under pressure from the Education department and (through IMR) Estelle Morris. The fact that the investigation was internal set alarm bells ringing from the start. Anyone who has watched 'Yes Prime Minister' will know that organisations carry out internal investigations to cover up any wrongdoing. The QCA investigation is an excellent example of this. It allows the QCA to absolve itself of blame and responsibility yet still allows them to claim to have done something about it.
Estelle Morris ordered the grade boundaries to be modified to counter criticisms about the A2 examinations being too easy. This selfish action, to make her, her department, and the Government she works for look a little more credible has resulted in some students missing out on their university place of choice, and consequently their future is now at a disadvantage. As usual, when faced with criticisms and accusations, the Government conducts a coverup and puts spin on the issue to try and soften the blow. It is totally unacceptable that Estelle Morris tries to hide the fundamental flaws in the examination system by toying with the futures of students. To blame teachers for the results is utter insolence, and is passing the buck to try and direct attention away from the fact that the current A/S and A2 system is fundamentally flawed, badly conceived, badly implemented and untenable.
This applies in particular to A/S levels, but also to A2s. Universities are now faced with a post-16 education system that produces results which are not a reliable indicator of a student's overall academic abiltiy. Without this indicator, universities have very little to go on to distinguish and select candidates. The only way they can counter this (and have done) is by raising the entrance grades to very high levels (primarily As and Bs) in an attempt to make some sort of sense and create a standard.
The exams now start in May. This leaves just 9 months in which to learn the course. Of this, at least 6 weeks are spent purely on preparing for the exam. This is not enough time to fully learn the subject content nor properly acquire skills such as communication, problem solving, analysis and written skills. These skills are not only important in school but are vital in life. Under the current system, the emphasis is placed on exam technique and the development of these skills to a minimal level that is sufficient enough to get a grade in the exam.
Because it takes the heat off the Government when people accuse them of presiding over easier exams.
It's one of many options, but something has to replace the ineffective system we have now.
Probably because you don't get a good league position from producing well rounded and educated people, just for producing people who can pass exams...
Shit, teenagers are scum anyway.
But then you're an arse, so we don't really care what you think.
Lets have a completely uneducated generation, that will solve all of our problems.
Loved the stereotype at the end too. How old are you, again?
Steroetypes are based on a small percentage of a population being used to describe everyone.
Its like saying that all Brits have breasts, just because 52% of the population do, or will have...
Or that everyone in your region is mornonic. Because you are.
The IBAC is the only way to go i believe.It gives you a wider education.Kids are made to specialise too early.At 13 you have to pick the subject you want to study or not study in 7 or 8 years time?? thats crazy!
Im 27 now and doing a degree in 4 subjects I never took at school!!!!
Give students a wider curiculum and let them see whats what later on.The IBAC doesnt place as much store on exams as it does on assesment of coursework.Many many students get bad grades in exams and miss out on Higher Education becuase they cant pass exams not becuase they arent bright enougyh to do a degree
I got 3x's and 3D's at GCSE.Im not thick but i was having a terrible time at home.I couldnt manage to pass them all. That doesnt make me thick.My coursework predicted that id get C's and B'c and even one A but it didnt happen.
Thats been carried with me for the past 11 years.What did you pass? not alot... oh she must be thick. That to my mind isnt fair on anyone.
Schools teach you how to pass and thats not a good thing.