The Tories say that they would cut the A level pass rate to boost confidence in the exam system. So – would that make any difference ? Possibly only to those students who would fail under a harder marking system unless the system is well thought out.
The Tories say that they would cut the A level pass rate to boost confidence in the exam system. So – would that make any difference ? Possibly only to those students who would fail under a harder marking system. Reported in the Independent it appears that the Tories new commission on public services says that restoring confidence in the exam system is top priority for the conservatives, and this is said to be achieved by making examining boards take a tougher attitude. It seems that a student can get a C grade in maths with only 18% of the marks (isn’t this horrendous ?) Such a move would make it harder to obtain an A grade and that could mean the incoming government presiding over the first fall in top grade passes in more than 20 years. The Tories’ commission, though, is charged with making sure the exams system has the confidence of parents, pupils, employers and universities. That is just one priority of the commission - which covers health, social services and social housing as well as education. Under the Conservatives it is said, extra money will be spent on ensuring that all families can choose to send their children further afield to school - although exactly how this will work has not been decided. The commission still has 18 months to run before it comes up with its final conclusions. It will be publishing policy options in the summer with a series of conferences in the autumn. It does appear that the Tories are willing to look at some real actions to improve standards, and I will be keeping an eye on their proposals, which seem interesting. |