Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο28 Ιαν 1900
STATE SCHOOLS MOVE AWAY FROM A-LEVELS
STATE SCHOOLS MOVE AWAY FROM A-LEVELS
Rising pass rate “devalues” exam
A number of leading state schools in England have joined independent schools in moving away from A-levels because of worries over the declining standards of the exams. In the next academic year about 100 British schools will offering their students the IB (International Baccalaureate), a Swiss-based qualification. This is considered to be more broadly based and more challenging than British exams.
A-level results for 2006 to be published this week are expected to show an increased pass rate (expected at 96%). This will lead to criticism that the A-level system is failing to stretch students. There will also be a high percentage of A-pass results and they claim this fails to identify the brightest students.
Pupils who choose the IB are required to study both the humanities and the sciences. They typically study 6 subjects including English and maths, a foreign language, a science, a social science such as history or geography and a creative subject such as art or drama.
This runs counter to trends in the choice of subjects chosen for A-levels. In A-levels there has been a steep fall in the number of students choosing difficult subjects such as maths and physics. However in other “easier” subjects such as media studies and religion, between 2004 and 2005 numbers have grown more than 80%.
To counter the criticisms the British Ministry of Education is considering introducing a new A* (A Plus) grade to be awarded to the top 7% of A grade passes at A-level. Furthermore, from next year universities will be able to specify the grade required from the student for each of the 6 parts of the A-level exam. This is instead of the one pass grade currently required.
The supporters of the IB argue that its independence ensures there is no grade inflation.
Rising pass rate “devalues” exam
A number of leading state schools in England have joined independent schools in moving away from A-levels because of worries over the declining standards of the exams. In the next academic year about 100 British schools will offering their students the IB (International Baccalaureate), a Swiss-based qualification. This is considered to be more broadly based and more challenging than British exams.
A-level results for 2006 to be published this week are expected to show an increased pass rate (expected at 96%). This will lead to criticism that the A-level system is failing to stretch students. There will also be a high percentage of A-pass results and they claim this fails to identify the brightest students.
Pupils who choose the IB are required to study both the humanities and the sciences. They typically study 6 subjects including English and maths, a foreign language, a science, a social science such as history or geography and a creative subject such as art or drama.
This runs counter to trends in the choice of subjects chosen for A-levels. In A-levels there has been a steep fall in the number of students choosing difficult subjects such as maths and physics. However in other “easier” subjects such as media studies and religion, between 2004 and 2005 numbers have grown more than 80%.
To counter the criticisms the British Ministry of Education is considering introducing a new A* (A Plus) grade to be awarded to the top 7% of A grade passes at A-level. Furthermore, from next year universities will be able to specify the grade required from the student for each of the 6 parts of the A-level exam. This is instead of the one pass grade currently required.
The supporters of the IB argue that its independence ensures there is no grade inflation.
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