Let's get down to brass tacks - are A-levels getting easier, asks Matthew Taylor?
Tomorrow tens of thousands of students will find out if their last two years of effort were worth it. But, infuriatingly for them, there will be much talk about how easy the exams have become, rather than how well students have done. (It will surely be even more depressing to be told A-levels are a walk in the park if you fail to make the grade on Thursday.)
So are the gold standard exams worth the paper they are written on? Certainly university admissions tutors complain that they cannot distinguish between the brightest students as the percentage getting A grades creeps up; others are running remedial courses to ensure first year undergraduates are up to speed with basic academic skills.
But beware the "things were better in my day" mutterings. A-levels have changed dramatically: they were introduced in 1951 for a privileged elite, and students either passed or failed; now they cater for around 40%-50% of 18-year-olds, with a plethora of subjects and grades available. The new modular system, with increased emphasis on coursework as well as the option to retake almost at will, adds to the feeling that comparing today's exams with those of the past is at best difficult and at worst ludicrous.
Rather we should be celebrating the fact that outdated courses have been overhauled, teaching has improved and more students are consequently being given the opportunity and skills to progress on to higher education.
Having a serious debate about how to improve the country's exam system would be welcome, but bleating on every year about how A-levels were harder in the good old days is lazy, fogyish and elitist.
So, when Thursday comes, resist the temptation to join the moaners and celebrate the hard work and dedication of students and teachers.
