British exam system critisised - again
The A-level (advanced level) exam results are due again on Thursday this week. The percentage of students passing them is expected to have risen for the 23rd year running to around 96.5% from 68,2% in 1982. And it will be no surprise if more than one in five get the best grade, an “A”. The think tank Reform has published research showing that an E grade (the lowest pass grade) in maths in 1988 would have been worth a B grade in 2004.
So far, so bad. The system is being devalued. Forty six percent of the UK voters believe the exams have become easier. It wouldn’t seem difficult to correct the trend – the marking or the questions have to become stiffer, but in Britain the consensus seems to be that the exams need to be scrapped and replaced with a baccalaureate-style exam. Now, I understand that the baccalaureate and the German Abitur both cover a wider range of subjects, which in itself may be good thing. But I can’t see how a different syllabus will ensure that the questions and marking don’t continue to get easier each year. Can anyone enlighten me on the thinking behind this proposal?
And one other thought – if the A-levels (which are the basis for getting into university) are getting easier, does this mean that British degrees are also being devalued or made easier to pass?