Exam fever
A-level students around the country have probably almost chewed their fingernails down to the quick by now. Their results are due next week. But today there is chatter round Westminster today that raises the prospect of more change in the exam system.
Sir Mike Tomlinson, the former chief inspector of schools, back in October 2004, that academic and vocational qualifications be united in a single diploma, more like the International Baccalaureate. That would have included scrapping the 'gold standard' A-level.
But his idea was shelved - he believes, in part because ministers were afraid of the political consequences of getting rid of exams. Today though, he sounded a note of optimism for his reforms, citing a change in mood and a 'willingness' in government circles to revisit the idea of one overall qualification for teenagers.
After announcing a , and looking again at , can we detect a sniff of another potential Brown u-turn? Estelle Morris the former education secretary gives weight to the idea, saying that Gordon Brown will look at the issue.
The part of Sir Mike's reforms which did survive, the vocational diploma, is due to be introduced next year across England. Academics have some doubts about the qualifications, but the plan is they will count towards university entrance. They'll cover subjects like construction, engineering, and IT. But could it be that once the diplomas are up and running, academic subjects in the shape of A-levels, are incorporated too?
The schools department tells me categorically there are no plans to get rid of 'the gold standard' A-level as they call it. But they make it clear that ministers are determined to end the divide between academic and vocational education. So it's not a bad bet that ministers will consider eventually bringing A-levels into the diploma system. Without being seen to scrap the decades old exam, that would bring academic and vocational education together.
So no u-turn yet, but a hint of what could be seen in future as a rather neat solution. Watch this space.
I'm 
Comments
Am I missing something?
When did Engineering, construction and IT become non academic subjects?
I don't understand the comment that going over to the BAC instead of A levels would be getting rid of exams. The BAC is an exam. The International BAC in France means that kids have to get their BAC plus some A levels I understand there are already forms of the BAC being tested in Wales. Having a European BAC would make it easier to travel and study abroad (except that UK students would have to learn at least one other language). Again an example of the UK having to be different.
Tomlinson did not suggest that England and Wales shift their college entry-level qualification from A level to the International Baccalaurete. He did suggest however that A levels be replaced with a diploma qulification that would allow students to combine -if they a) so chose and b) schools offered - vocational and academic subjects. This would permit a larger number of subjects to be studied compared with the traditional A level route - in that regard his proposals could be seen comparable to the IB. However the link between the two is often over-played and undoubtedly had Tomlinson's proposals been fully accepted by the Government, we would still have seen an increasing number of schools, both private and state, offering the IB.
Exams have become a football within the education industry, and could be quickly sorted out if it wasn't for the vested interests. For example
Say from 2010 all children starting secondary school will study English, Mathematics, Logic, Science, Engineering and 3 other optional subjects. At 16 they sit an examination in the eight subjects, a diploma will given for an average mark above 50% with no subject less than 40%
Failure will result in specialist teaching and the exams re-sat if necessary until 18
Following a pass students will continue to study English and Mathematics along with 3 specialist subjects, again a diploma will given for an average mark above 50% with no subject less than 40%
Each diploma will record the mark obtained in each subject, thus showing quite clearly the ablity of each child.
Good! Brown should implement Tomlinson's superb reforms as soon as possible!
Neat solutions to education issues are rare and government U turns are usually considered rare too, but as Laura Kuenssberg pointed out, Gordon Brown has show that he is not frightened of them, with the review of super casinos and he may well be considering a revised take on the Tomlinson Report and sixth form education too.
In the calm before the A level exam storm blows in next week, we can look around and see that the government has already made a significant step in testing out new solutions, with the announcement in November 2006 that it would provide funding for the introduction of the International Baccalaureate (IB) in at least one state school in every local authority in England.
We know that the IB Diploma is highly thought of in the education world. University admissions consider it a much better preparation for university life and learning style than A levels, and a better platform for building work based skills too. In the ACS International School IB Report 2007 admissions officers were specifically asked what they felt had motivated the government to back this quiet introduction of the IB and they responded unequivocally: 89 per cent felt it was because of its broader based on of subjects and 77 per cent because of its rigorous academic background. A host of other positive factors were cited too, including the inclusion of languages, global awareness and so on.
The number of state schools offering the IB Diploma in this country is increasing gradually, but it is not necessarily an easy transition to make. Across the state and private sector, 102 schools now offer the IB, compared to 84 last year. ACS International Schools has been running the IB programme for 27 years and offers it from early years right through to the Diploma. Because of this, teachers and educationalists come to us for advice and guidance about introducing the system and we know that while it is an exciting and liberating new approach to the teaching and learning, it is challenging to make a successful switch. Taking the IB means for example that all sixth form students must follow a modern language, and independent thinking and learning is required of students, teachers can’t just teach to an exam.
For all these reasons the IB Diploma is a well respected exam system, and perhaps the government is already seriously considering adopting some of its strengths for example the recently announced extended project for A levels. The vast majority of university admissions officers, 82 per cent, who see applicants from all over the world trying to win at place in our universities, also agree that the government may have supported the introduction of the IB Diploma because it is an internationally recognised qualification.
The vocational diplomas being introduced are a positive response to the Tomlinson Report and the new schools which are providing the IB Diploma will certainly provide useful information to inform the review which we now hear is planned for 2008. But perhaps the more pertinent question is should the Government continue to support piecemeal changes rather than adopting the full recommendation from the Tomlinson report. Now there’s a question when we consider the needs of young people in the global economy.
Malcolm Kay, Superintendent, ACS International Schools.
A-levels, like all exams, are a terrible way of assessing someone's 'ability' (whatever that means). However, they work, and are reasonably practical, unlike this ridiculous system, which would only serve to homogenize students even further than they are at present.
The solution is more variety in subjects, with things like Sociology, IT, Media etc. being taken seriously and kids not being forced to learn classic subjects just for tradition's sake. The current system is shamefully out of date, and will remain so if older folk continue this condescending attitude to certain subjects just because they didn't study themselves.
The recommendations from Mike Tomlinson did not involve 'scrapping exams' according to that article from 2004. It only stated that there might be a reduced number. Even if there was a recommendation to scrap exams (which I approve of at certain levels of education) it would be very difficult to get every academic to agree with that idea.
I agree with Chris's point about calling subjects such as IT, engineering and construction 'non-academic'. Yes, there is a significant practical element in all three but there is a huge amount of theory aswell which makes them academic subjects.
Having something (like the European Baccalaureate) at that level would definitely be a good idea if you were to end up studying or working abroad in the future because everyone would understand what the qualifications on the CVs mean and hold them at the same standard. There are already moves in the Higher Education sector to ensure successful credit transfer, etc (read up on the Bologna Process).
The problem with reform of vocational qualifications is that they are constantly being reformed. Successive governments have seen that vocational qualifications are not working and rip them up and start again. This has lead to a myriad of different qualifications, which ends up being confusing for everyone involved and they are not given the status that they deserve. Which leads to the government of the day do declare that vocational qualifications are not working, and rip them and start again.
By contrast, the 'gold standard' A-level is seen as untouchable, so any parallel reforms, such as Mike Tomlinson's, are rejected or carried out half heartedly.
Until there is some long term stability in vocational qualification, preferably linked to the more academic FE qualifications they will constantly be second best, to the detriment of all the young people who take them.
Who sets the exam questions for the IB? Does it mean that our exam boards would be scrapped (a good thing!) so that all students sit exactly the same exam and get marked the same way?
Or is it another trendy-leftie fudge to ensure that nobody ever fails and that the grading system becomes ever more worthless with each passing year?
As an employer, I am now staring to see illiteracy amongst degree level candidates.
As for the importance of a "broad education" - don't make me laugh!
We NEED specialists and we are not getting them. This might come as shock to those in the education system but for technical subjects we need specialists.
A "broad education" is fine for those whose destiny is to sound knowledgeable with being capable of achieving anything.
Education should be a highly personal service, not a near-State monopoly.
That should be the starting point.
It would be best if politicians kept as far out of education as possible.
In England, over the last few decades, they have wreaked terrible damage with their 'educational idealogy'.
We will suffer for a long time to come because of it.
I hope the ideas are binned. As an AS level student myself the idea of having my qualifications devalued or scrapped just as i get them after all that work is infuriating.
Yep Laura not much left of my fingernails left now!!!
As someone who has recently sat Sats, GCSEs, AS and A Levels (around 70 odd exams in 5 years), and has gone onto a degree, it is becoming increasingly clearer that all qualifications have lost the status they held a decade ago. This is because so many people are being forced into universities rather than being supported in vocational route, resulting in a lack of people with manual skills and an overload of graduates competing for the same jobs, which forces more people into taking Masters and dropping further into debt. The IB (although less in depth then A Levels) would be an interesting alternative, as would Tomlinson's proposals, but neither would be suitable for everyone. There is no point forcing a scholar into vocational qualifications if they want to follow an all academic program.
But the main focus for the next few weeks at least is to support those who are receiving results and to not repeat the age old statement that the exams have got easier. These children have worked tirelessly, and are probably involved in far more extra-curricular activities than those who took the exams 10 years ago, as this is the only way for universities to distinguish between those who have gained identical qualifications that are becoming more and more and more meaningless but involve greater effort.
I vaguely remember when A Levels and degrees were an academic path and other qualifications and apprenticeships were the vocational path. As a rough guide, after about five years operating in the real world most people are equivalent whichever path they go down. It looks to me like another one of those same pond different fish things.
I suppose, I'm lucky that I got parents who instilled a sense of discipline, encouraged reading, and gave me a gentle push. That's fallen away with younger generation baby boomer parenting, so kids don't know how to behave, be polite, or have much firm grounding in anything. Nailing this down, and academic and vocational equivalence will wind the clock back to a position we know works. In spite of the parenting, teaching, and employment difficulties, I tend to think that the long-term picture looks better every day.
I must admit, I can't say I much care for what the media, academics, or employers say. It's just so much disruption and wailing. The underlying picture is getting a sharper and firmer focus, and as the results flow in over the next few years and decades things will improve. Too much democracy can be a pain at times. Once the remaining consensus is settled I'm more than happy with a little dictatorship. Wake me up when it's job done.