Comments on: Do We Need the Cambridge Pre-U? http://kelvinthroop.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/do-we-need-the-cambridge-pre-u/ Education failings, particularly in Science Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:32:28 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: pyjamasinbananas http://kelvinthroop.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/do-we-need-the-cambridge-pre-u/#comment-68 pyjamasinbananas Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:06:45 +0000 http://kelvinthroop.wordpress.com/?p=26#comment-68 Is there not still enough evidence of the best students provided by the individual module marks (over and above the grade classification) without having an additional qualification that adds another level of pre-selection disadvantaging ordinary students (I'm looking at you Cambridge with your stupid STEP papers) in the same way that a separate qualification does? Is there not still enough evidence of the best students provided by the individual module marks (over and above the grade classification) without having an additional qualification that adds another level of pre-selection disadvantaging ordinary students (I’m looking at you Cambridge with your stupid STEP papers) in the same way that a separate qualification does?

]]> By: kelvinthroop http://kelvinthroop.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/do-we-need-the-cambridge-pre-u/#comment-67 kelvinthroop Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:08:52 +0000 http://kelvinthroop.wordpress.com/?p=26#comment-67 brianthesecond: I disagree. There needs to be some evidence of understanding achieved. Saying 80% (or whatever) have failed is not particularly useful. My point is that the purpose of the A-level has changed. The Government of course pretends it has not and pretends that they are not easier than 20 or more years ago. I just think that the AEA will serve the purpose of selecting the most able for degree courses without the need to devise a new exam pyjamasinbananas: Agreed re journalists. Some of them seem to have trouble remembering what they wrote last week never mind last year. The intention of many is to knock teachers, schools and the DoE come what may. brianthesecond: I disagree. There needs to be some evidence of understanding achieved. Saying 80% (or whatever) have failed is not particularly useful. My point is that the purpose of the A-level has changed. The Government of course pretends it has not and pretends that they are not easier than 20 or more years ago. I just think that the AEA will serve the purpose of selecting the most able for degree courses without the need to devise a new exam

pyjamasinbananas: Agreed re journalists. Some of them seem to have trouble remembering what they wrote last week never mind last year. The intention of many is to knock teachers, schools and the DoE come what may.

]]> By: pyjamasinbananas http://kelvinthroop.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/do-we-need-the-cambridge-pre-u/#comment-66 pyjamasinbananas Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:53:04 +0000 http://kelvinthroop.wordpress.com/?p=26#comment-66 Although the numbers taking A Levels has massively increased over the last 40 years it would be politically unacceptable to allow the top grades to proportionately fall - I recall only a couple of years ago newspapers leading with the scandal of falling pass rates (and thus falling standards) in some qualification or other - utterly oblivious to their own headlines about falling standards due to increasing pass rates the year before. Although the numbers taking A Levels has massively increased over the last 40 years it would be politically unacceptable to allow the top grades to proportionately fall – I recall only a couple of years ago newspapers leading with the scandal of falling pass rates (and thus falling standards) in some qualification or other – utterly oblivious to their own headlines about falling standards due to increasing pass rates the year before.

]]> By: brianthesecond http://kelvinthroop.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/do-we-need-the-cambridge-pre-u/#comment-65 brianthesecond Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:08:03 +0000 http://kelvinthroop.wordpress.com/?p=26#comment-65 Far more people may indeed stay in education that used to be the case. That is no reason at all why A levels should have to cover a larger ability range, or be any easier than they were. In particular, it is no reason why the top grade should be any easier. After all, if a few years ago only the top of the class took A-levels, and now many more people do, one would expect the proportion of students achieving the top grade to fall, not rise. Far more people may indeed stay in education that used to be the case. That is no reason at all why A levels should have to cover a larger ability range, or be any easier than they were. In particular, it is no reason why the top grade should be any easier.

After all, if a few years ago only the top of the class took A-levels, and now many more people do, one would expect the proportion of students achieving the top grade to fall, not rise.

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