For teenagers who began A-level courses in September 2019, the last 18 months have been an educational ordeal. Schools in England were let down by a government that failed to develop an adequate plan B when classrooms closed. An estimated third of learning time has been lost to the pandemic. Remote lessons exposed damaging inequalities in domestic circumstances, and the quality of provision was patchy. The suspension of formal exams plunged schools into uncharted territory which was hopelessly navigated by the education secretary, Gavin Williamson.
In that dismal context, Tuesday’s outstanding set of A-level results represents an unalloyed triumph. Those in Wales and Northern Ireland were equally impressive. A cohort which has experienced a level of disruption unprecedented since the second world war has emerged with its hopes and dreams intact. A record-breaking 44.3% of entries in England were awarded A* or A in teacher-assessed grades overseen by examination boards. Almost 250,000 18-year-olds have been accepted on to degree courses in the UK, up 17% from last year. Although the country is not out of the Covid woods yet, there are legitimate grounds for these students to believe that their post-pandemic future starts here.
The use of teacher assessment meant that the buildup to results day was dominated by the theme of grade inflation. In the end, grades did go up again but by less than the jump between 2019 and 2020. Given the unique circumstances, this discussion was always a red herring. The Joint Council for Qualifications, representing the examination boards, was satisfied that the grades were supported by the quality of the students’ work. After the pressures placed on teachers and students over the past year and a half, this is a remarkable achievement that should be celebrated. Crucially, ministers must start planning now to ensure that the class of 2022, which has also endured a year of disruption, does not become the victim of an unjust drive to push down grades next summer.
The results do throw up areas of legitimate concern. The attainment gap for students on free school meals and in areas of high deprivation has widened, as has that for black candidates. More generally, the pandemic has deepened pre-existing educational inequalities. The government’s refusal in June to properly fund a recovery package for English schools, leading to the resignation of former catch-up tsar Sir Kevan Collins, urgently needs to be revisited. Meanwhile, the gap between private and state school attainment remains a testament to the power of money to influence outcomes in our education system.
In the autumn, booming numbers of undergraduates will pose a challenge for some universities in terms of space and staffing levels, and ensuring basic Covid precautions. Students will rightly demand a far fuller experience than has been possible during Covid, and a significant return to in-person teaching. The government should take these factors into account when it publishes its green paper on the future funding of higher education, expected next month. The Treasury is reportedly determined to significantly reduce costs, but to do so in the current context would be rash in the extreme. As a generation attempts to make up for time lost to Covid and forge its future, universities need supporting, not undermining. Having got through the chaos and isolation of the last two years, that is the least that this supremely resilient cohort of pupils deserves.
