jods

Just seen on Sky News

Three students who just received their A level Maths exams agreed to take the A level paper from 1987 to see if there was a difference.

Student 1.
Oliver Stanton
2005 Paper Grade : A
1987 Paper Grade : E

Student 2.
Mazin Orfali
2005 Paper Grade : C
1987 Paper Grade : U

Student 3.
Matthew Romu
2005 Paper Grade : A
1987 Paper Grade : U


Think I'll demand a recount on my 4 A level papers from 1984. I fancy having 4 straight

A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

much better than deferred success


Thanks Tony Bliar

******* t wat

Richard_P

There are possible issues with differences in taught material but there is no doubt that exams are getting easier year upon year.

I don't believe the teaching is getting better steadily every year or that people are smarter every year. It's simply got to be that the questions they ask and the way they are being presented is making it easier to pass.

Tiggs

was he sat next to you putting you off when you got your crappy result?

Abdabz

That's scary... Whilst taught subjects may be different the gulf is astonishing!!!

Soon everyone will go to Uni and the country will have no plumbers and electricians and we'll all drown due to dodgy washers that we dont know how to replace, the water in our houses becoming live and electricuting us as we swim for safety

davegtt

Does it matter? every ****** knows A levels are pointless... Wheres it going to get you exactly? In fact MOST further education is a waste of time, its an excuse not to go to work get loans and pi55 it up the wall..... if they were worth something people wouldnt have too much trouble finding a reasonable job when they left....

My dads advice is 10years old to me but I know its advice I'll pass on to my child... Forget College/Uni get an apprenticeship with a trade.... you'll never be out of work and always be needed by somebody.

monty baber

I'll try to remember that when i'm up to my **** in dirt

KiwiGTI

The worse aspect is that these people are leaving school with the false impression that they are really intelligent, when at best they are nothing but average.

Leslie

There is a great difference in studying for 2 years and then taking the exam in one step than being able to take it in in modules and retaking any of those that you don't do well at to improve your grades. Pupils are also selecting the easier subjects purely to improve their chances of getting better grades.

What is also worrying is that the basics of English, written and spoken, as well as basics mathematics seem to be neglected in the earlier teaching. There are reports of students having to do courses at university to improve their basic abilities just so that they can actually start the degree course.

The A level exams have been so degraded that they just don't do anything to demonstrate a students real abilities. It is a mistaken policy to try to get such a large proportion of students to go the Universities when they have not all got the required ability to make the course worthwhile.

Les

eClaire

LOL

It's not like they are ever going to do anything to change it, are they?

SJ_Skyline

Based on Bliar & Co's obsession with results and league tables it really is quite remarkable that they don't give enough data to compare A-Levels with other European equivalents.

I suspect a guilty conscience!

rizla06

Blame the internet, revising and studying is made that much easier now than in 1987. Rather than spend hours in the library searching, any internet search engine will do it for you.

SJ_Skyline

I Blame Tony Blair™ ©unclebuck 2005

unclebuck

Everyone's a winner under New Labour.

ajm

In Blair's world we'd ALL have first class degrees and A* in every exam. Failing exams and being thick is against students' human rights.

Ditches wouldn't get dug and bins wouldn't get emptied, but hey, at least the league tables look rosy!