Comments by "David Getling" (@DavidGetling) on "Nigel Farage asks: Are we failing young people with A-level exam system?" video.

  1. How very true. People don't realise that 40 years ago most of today's 1st class honours degrees would be 2nd class, in both divisions, and most A and A* A-levels would be Bs or Cs.
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  2. Even before this grade inflation debacle Cambridge have had their own STEP exam that students have to do well in before even being considered. Oxford, and a couple of other universities have similar. It just shows how much faith the best universities put in A-levels and teachers' predictions.
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  3. Absolutely right. This year, and last year have proven beyond all shadow of a doubt that teachers cannot be trusted to grade A-levels.
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  4. Actually, with teaching in the UK today being such a crap job, those who become teachers don't even know their subject well enough to perform a good regurgitation.
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  5. Nigel, I'll tell you exactly why so many schools and teachers would love to ditch A-level exams. It's because when they are properly graded they provide a very strong metric for judging how good schools and their teachers are. In Enfield, where I live there are only four decent state schools within miles: Woodhouse College, St. Michael's Catholic Grammar School, Latymer, and Dame Alice Owen. When there are proper exams, their A-level grades absolutely wipe the floor with all the other schools. But here's the worrying part. Even in these schools, at A-level, a lot of the teaching leaves an awful lot to be desired. As well as being a serious geek, I'm a qualified and experienced teacher. These days I earn my crust as a private tutor of A-level maths, further maths, physics and chemistry. Even in the schools I've mentioned it's not uncommon for me to regularly come across examples of very poor teaching: topics very poorly explained (because the teacher didn't really understand the material), and outright mistakes. A-level exams shine a spotlight where an awful lot of people don't want it. And, sadly, an awful lot of parents really to prefer blissful ignorance to knowing how poor so much teaching is.
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  6.  @blackoutemzz2674  At least, unlike most students, you are doing a proper degree.
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