A-Levels results are out

[Walsingham]

A-Level results show rise for 29th consecutive year

 

Quick recap for foreigners: results for the 18 year old school leavers exams keep rising. Many, such as myself, have lost almost all confidence that an A (now the second highest grade to A-star) means very much. Instead we suspect that the privatised examination boards have devalued the difficulty so that more students will take their exams and do 'better'.

 

Anyway, I had three questions:

 

1) Who in the Uk has confidence in a-lvels when it comes to hiring?

 

2) Who outside the Uk was aware of this, and how do you look at the results?

 

3) If the rise is 'inflation' due to exams getting easier then I had a thought. Presumably thsi would be more pronounced a trend at schools which are capable of taking advantage by aggressively shopping around and teaching to test. In other words privately run schools who have a big economic incentive. Does this make ogical sense, and if so, has anyone exmained the data accordingly?

[Nightshape]

I do not believe that children are getting smarter - I personally don't value qualifications, I prefer actual results - but that's me.

 

I've more respect for the guy sat at home who's made game X than a degree student without game X. That's just me though.

[Rosbjerg]

2) Who outside the Uk was aware of this, and how do you look at the results?

 

I wasn't, but I recognize it from here, we "standardized" our grades to be more in line with the European. Before you started and the lowest grade and had to prove and work your way up to the top. Now you start at the top and every mistake takes you down.

 

The result of this is of course that the teachers are now practically teaching students how to get grades (ie avoid mistakes by coaching them during exams) rather the the subject.

 

It's a big problem because now a lot more are coming out with very good grades, which in turn is inflating the whole education system. Before you only needed 3 years of college to get a decent job, now you need 5 and soon they say, 2 degrees. Which seems to be the same problem you have?

[Rostere]

Quick recap for foreigners: results for the 18 year old school leavers exams keep rising. Many, such as myself, have lost almost all confidence that an A (now the second highest grade to A-star) means very much. Instead we suspect that the privatised examination boards have devalued the difficulty so that more students will take their exams and do 'better'.

 

Pretty much sums up what is happening in Sweden as well...

[Pidesco]

Here in Portugal the difficulty of exams and the school curriculum have been drastically reduced and simplified in the past 3 decades, in order to improve final grades. Nevertheless, grades keep falling anyway, with students showing time and again, that there are no depths to their ignorance and stupidity.

[Darth InSidious]

The British secondary education system - public or private - now pretty much exclusively teaches to the exam. Independent thought, or, horror of horrors, research, is if not actively discouraged then at least considered unnecessary and unwanted.

[Walsingham]

Oh great. Shall I roll out the red carpet for the Indians and Chinese or would somebody else like to do it?

 

I don't know much about Indian education. but the chaps I meet through work, work HARD. Working with most UK graduates is either an exercise in remodelling the little fethers, or they think they should be served little treats on a daily basis for being so clever. And ALL of them thin there's something unfashionable about caring about your work.

[Nepenthe]

Clearly, they still have some impact in a few jobs. I'm seeing a lot of models in the London area advertise their a-levels...

[kalimeeri]

The result of this is of course that the teachers are now practically teaching students how to get grades (ie avoid mistakes by coaching them during exams) rather the the subject.

 

Worse yet is that (here at least) overall high grade levels on standardized tests are tied to how much federal grant money the district receives, and there is little to no monitoring as to how the reported levels are achieved. Human nature being what it is... I think it was Atlanta where it was discovered that the kids weren't getting smarter or doing better on the tests at all ... those stellar results and fat bonus checks were due to nothing more than teachers "fixing" answer sheets (under orders from on high in the school system itself).

[Walsingham]

Just to make mkreku happy. Because I live for his happiness:

 

A blog which addresses the hypothesis that only attractive girls, who leap like springbok pass A-levels.

 

Edited August 18, 2011 by Walsingham

[Raithe]

Isn't the stats something about a 97% pass rate for students on A-levels this year? Which I have to say seem fairly ridiculous for any.. um...worthwhile results.

 

Throw in that something like only half the college students who got their grades today will be able to make it into University.. it's certainly a tad frenzyish.

[Rosbjerg]

Oh great. Shall I roll out the red carpet for the Indians and Chinese or would somebody else like to do it?

 

I doubt they would want to "invade" Europe. Too expensive compared output.

[Walsingham]

Oh great. Shall I roll out the red carpet for the Indians and Chinese or would somebody else like to do it?

 

I doubt they would want to "invade" Europe. Too expensive compared output.

 

Maybe they need 50 provinces?

[Rosbjerg]

Maybe they need 50 provinces?

 

I'm happy the world is not like Risk or Hearts of Iron. Otherwise we would totally have been conquered for our spawn and victory points

[Walsingham]

Maybe they need 50 provinces?

 

I'm happy the world is not like Risk or Hearts of Iron. Otherwise we would totally have been conquered for our spawn and victory points

 

Bloody Swedes in Empire Total War. Declare war on no pretext whatsoever, at any odds, and completely refuse all peace overtures. For me any European campaign, step one, annihilate Sweden by conquering it and handing it over to the Iroquois indians.

 

What were we talking about? Oh yes, A-levels.

[Nepenthe]

Clearly, they still have some impact in a few jobs. I'm seeing a lot of models in the London area advertise their a-levels...

I thought this was hilarious. Did nobody catch on, or did it just suck?

[Walsingham]

Clearly, they still have some impact in a few jobs. I'm seeing a lot of models in the London area advertise their a-levels...

I thought this was hilarious. Did nobody catch on, or did it just suck?

 

Er...

[Gfted1]

I didnt (and still dont) get it.

[Malcador]

Some joke on rioters I assume ? I guess a is for 'asinine' or something.

[Gfted1]

Or perhaps "advertising their a-levels" means the models bums are hanging out? We must get to the bottom of this.

[Gromnir]

is all very harypota from our pov. we got the sat and act for those kids wanting to go on to university... is voluntary testing. the standardized tests and exit exams that all kids in a US school would needs take are, for the most part, minimum threshold tests. SCHOOLS is concerned with the % o' students that pass or excel, but individual students is doubtful concerned with such stuff. that being said, for as long as we can recall, there has been claims that the sat and act were being diluted. also, the sat finally added a new writing aspect to their test some numbers o' years ago. universities were initial dismissive o' this portion until they learned that the writing portion were actual the most accurate indicator o' collegiate success. however, is particular easy to accuse the college board people o' dilution and subjectivity with the writing, no?

 

...

 

'pon reflection, em embarrassed to admit that we still 'member our sat, ap, lsat and gre scores. didn't think we were that vain, but there you go.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Nepenthe]

Sob. It refers to a woman in the oldest profession (or, considering the connotation possibly a man, too) offering a certain type of service. Gfted1 was definitely in the right... neighborhood.

 

I know I'm deadly in trivial pursuit, but this can't be SO obscure!

Edited August 19, 2011 by Nepenthe

[Walsingham]

Oooooh. I get it.

[Raithe]

.. Well.. it could just be along the lines of how many page 3 girls seem to list their A-levels while getting money for getting pictures taken of themselves topless...