The Education Secretary has announced that sixth-formers will be required to take all their A-level exams at the end of a two-year course.
This would mean that AS-levels, which are currently taken at the end of the first year of study, will no longer contribute to pupils’ final A-level grades.
However, the Russell Group of leading research universities said it was “not convinced” that the move was necessary. The universities warned that the plan would make it harder to identify bright students from working-class homes.
The criticism is a blow to Mr Gove, who has asked the Russell Group to establish a new academic board to advise the exams watchdog on the design of the new A-levels.
The universities’ intervention represents the latest in a series of setbacks for the minister. Last week, Mr Gove was forced to abandon his plan to scrap GCSEs and replace the exams with a new English Baccalaureate certificate.
In a statement released on Thursday, Dr Wendy Piatt, director-general of the Russell Group, said her 24 member universities, which include Oxford and Cambridge, “valued” AS-levels “in their existing form”.
“We have argued that AS-levels in their current format are important in giving students the opportunity to take an additional smaller qualification in a contrasting subject alongside their main A-level subjects,” she said.
“This adds valuable breadth and flexibility to their learning programme, and can encourage the take-up of strategically important subjects.
“We are not convinced therefore that a new standalone AS qualification is necessary and are concerned that, with no links to the A-level, it may not deliver the same benefits as the existing AS-levels.”
Dr Piatt said results from AS-levels taken at the end of the first year of study help universities make decisions on which candidates deserve to be offered places.
“Without access to such information, it will be even more difficult for our institutions to identify the most talented students from amongst the very many applicants with excellent results at GCSE,” she said.
“AS-level results after one year of study can also be effective in giving talented students from poorer backgrounds the confidence to apply to a highly selective university, thus helping to widen participation.”
Dr Piatt added: “Whilst we have welcomed the Government's review of the modular structure of the A-level, we do not believe this need be extended to the complete removal of the AS examination from the A-level.”
Cambridge University has already warned that the reforms risk damaging a decade's worth of work to encourage more disadvantaged students to apply.
A spokesman for the Department for Education insisted that AS-levels would be de-coupled from A-levels and would become stand-alone qualifications.
“We need A-levels that are robust, rigorous and match equivalent exams in the world's best education systems,” the spokesman said.
“That is why new A-levels will be linear, with all assessment at the end of two years of study to address the impact of modules and re-sits on grade inflation. As a result, changes must be made to AS-levels.
“AS-levels will therefore be redesigned as high-quality standalone qualifications.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment