Where was the A-level thread

[dinker]

So it is depressing – even more so because it is unsurprising - to see that the UK has been found to have fallen behind other countries in its levels of educational achievement. The new study, compiled by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA-an arm of the OECD), looked at the educational attainment among 15 year olds in 57 countries.

Since 2000, the UK cohort was found to have fallen from 8th to 24th in maths; from 7th to 17th in reading; and in science, an area in which the UK as a whole excels, they fell from 4th to 14th. Taken as a whole the findings constitute - as a reporter on the Today programme put it this morning - a discernable slip for the UK from a premier league of industrialised countries to a first division.

[PM-Junkie]

It's because that's what we've been taught to do: nothing.

It used to be an outrage, now we just expect it. Also, we know complaining doesn't work, so what's the point?

What I don't understand is why they continue to pretend they're not buggering about with the system - it just does not make sense. We know school leavers are innumerate, barely literate and ignorant so why not just give all school leavers 15 A* A levels and be done with it? The whole exam process is a waste of time and taxpayer's money.

I sort of have knowledge of this stuff...brother lectures in maths at uni (yes, he was the one with brains in the family - so I went into IT!).

He moans constantly about having to teach people more and more A'level stuff before cracking on with degree level stuff, and that it seems to be getting worse. Ok this is a guy who would moan that clouds are the wrong shape...but it does rather tie in with the "standards dropping while pass rates go up" story so maybe he's got a point?

[TimberWolf]

What's wrong with awarding the top 0-0.5% of students A*'s, 0.5-1% A's, 1-10% B's, 10-30% C's and the remainder...whatever...not important?

[RichardCranium]

Only 3 pages?

In the old days, rants against A-levels lasted at least 6.

It's because that's what we've been taught to do: nothing.

It used to be an outrage, now we just expect it. Also, we know complaining doesn't work, so what's the point?

What I don't understand is why they continue to pretend they're not buggering about with the system - it just does not make sense. We know school leavers are innumerate, barely literate and ignorant so why not just give all school leavers 15 A* A levels and be done with it? The whole exam process is a waste of time and taxpayer's money.

[bobhope]

Only 3 pages?

In the old days, rants against A-levels lasted at least 6.

Classic case of dumbing down :-)

[NotAllThere]

When my A-level results came out, most of us just looked at the results, either paled and started phoning UCAS, or smiled, said "thought so", and got pissed at the nearest pub.

What's all this jumping up and down for (except to jiggle a bit ).

[Pondlife]

http://forums.contractoruk.com/gener...cs-thread.html

http://forums.contractoruk.com/gener...ng-easier.html

[NickFitz]

Try page 2.

[bobhope]

with the daily mail outrage over standards.

+ pictures of young students of course ?