International News
Letter from London A-level tinkering As the start of the new academic year approaches, school-leaving A-level results are under scrutiny again. This year almost a quarter of all A-level students were awarded A grade, the second biggest leap in 30 years. And again this is posing problems as universities wonder how to distinguish top achievers inter se. For example in maths which is now the third most popular A-level subject, almost half the students who wrote the exam were awarded A grade, following a controversial examination reform which critics claim “tore the guts” out of the subject and made it much easier. In other subjects, including a variety of European languages, chemistry, physics and economics, almost one-third of students were awarded A’s. Unsurprisingly the A-level results have triggered a fresh row over standards with critics arguing that top grades no longer differentiate the most talented from simply ‘good’ hardworking or ‘well-drilled’ students. Consequently many straight A students are being rejected by both Oxford and Cambridge, and universities are increasingly introducing their own entrance tests to distinguish between A grade applicants. The government response to all this is to toughen the A-levels to restore the credibility of this time-tested exam, with the introduction of harder questions and a new A* grading by 2008. However Dr. John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, questions this strategy arguing that introducing a higher A* grade will degrade the A and B grades. However David Eastwood, who took charge of England’s £6 billion university funding council last month (September), has backed calls to reform the school-leaving examination system. He believes that the A-level, and the lower level GCSE, should be overhauled so that teenagers sit fewer, but tougher school exams. Moreover pupils should be given more time to understand subjects rather than just learn how to pass exams. “The question is, what do we value in A-levels? The answer is that we want high quality academic — and vocational — qualifications that are stretching and exciting,” says Eastwood. Some independent schools, worried about the fading reputation of the A-level qualification are offering the popular International Baccalaureate, or are pondering a new qualification known as the Cambridge Pre-U. The latter is a two-year qualification offering at least 12 subjects, including maths, life sciences and languages. Yet at bottom, the most worrisome aspect of these discussions is their implicit denigration of the achievements of students who have worked hard to win places at university. While discussing reform of the system, we should not forget to take time out to congratulate the success of aspirational young students. (Jacqueline Thomas is a London-based academic) Japan Divisive education Bill Legal scholars are in the forefront of a campaign to block the Japanese government’s proposed Bill on education which they say breaches the constitution. As the coalition government gears up for the Bill, the 700-member Japan Educational Law Association (JELA) is seeking to join forces with teachers’ unions, parents’ organisations and provincial educational boards outraged by moves they…
