Call for exam to replace A levels

JUDITH JUDD

Education Editor

MPs yesterday called for a new national advanced certificate as part of a shake-up of A-levels.

A report from the House of Commons select committee on education supports many proposals which are expected to appear in Sir Ron Dearing's review of post-16 education to be published shortly.

Traditionalists are anxious to preserve the "gold standard" of A-level. Teachers argue that study after 16 should be broader. Sir Malcolm Thornton, the committee's Conservative chairman, said the new certificate, which is expected to receive Sir Ron's backing, should eventually be seen as a passport to university.

The report makes clear that it could be achieved by those studying two or three A-levels in the traditional way.

However, MPs recommend that the "core skills" of literacy and numeracy should be compulsory.

Alternatively, the certificate might include a mixture of A-level and vocational qualifications which should be renamed "applied A-levels." That would further the aim of ensuring both types of qualification were seen as equal.

MPs endorse Sir Ron's proposals for a new exam to be taken after one year in the sixthform.

Students might take five subjects for one year and continue with two or three of them to A-level instead of the present three A-levels taken over two years. At present students can take AS-level exams over two years .

Sir Malcolm said: "We are not saying that A-levels are no longer appropriate, but they are no longer appropirate as a single system.'

A-levels were designed 40 years ago for a tiny proportion of 18-year- olds and were now too narrow.

The new exam, says the report, "would allow students to increase the range of subjects studied without any great loss of depth in subject knowledge."