Leading article: A stronger case for A-level reform
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.We welcome the news that ministers have, with some qualifications, been converted to the International Baccalaureate. Tony Blair is said to favour the IB being made more readily available to state school pupils and Alan Johnson sees it as a viable alternative to A-levels. It is true that the IB offers a broader and, some would say, more taxing alternative to A-levels and as such will stretch and challenge pupils more. But the danger is that the Government's obsession with choice will lead to it neglecting much-needed reforms to GCSE and A-levels that the Education Secretary acknowledges will still be the main route to higher education for the vast majority of 16- to 18-year-olds.
Already there is evidence of dithering over A-level reforms. No one yet is quite clear more than two years after former chief schools inspector Sir Mike Tomlinson's inquiry into the examination system exactly how the exams will be made harder. There could be more difficult questions for everyone or there could be a new A* grade so that universities are able to select the brightest candidates for oversubscribed courses from the increasing number of youngsters with three grade As.
The danger is that the Government will heave a collective sigh of relief if the IB is made more widely available and think it has done the job of making the examination system more challenging. But it will only have made the system harder for a few. And it won't have done anything to halt the advance of the new Cambridge Pre-U exam - seen as traditional A-levels without coursework - advocated by 200 of our leading independent schools.
If these 200 do break away from the A-level system, it could spell disaster for state schools because university admissions tutors will regard these schools as offering an inferior exam. The message to be taken from any widening of the availability of the IB in the state sector should be that it strengthens the case for urgent reform of the A-level system rather than diminishes it. These worries would never have arisen if the Government had implemented the main recommendation of the Tomlinson inquiry - that there should be an overarching diploma covering both academic and vocational qualifications and giving a broader sixth-form education to all pupils.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments