appendix f

APPENDIX F: British 2001 AS exam results

Thursday, August 16th, 2001

Girls leave boys behind at AS level

John O’Leary


45 GIRLS’ lead over boys in public examinations has widened dramatically with changes to the sixth-form curriculum, the first results of the new AS levels showed yesterday.
In addition, the numbers achieving top grades in A level hit new heights as teenagers recorded the 18th successive improvement in overall passes. Almost nine out of ten entries managed at least grade E.

However, while the girls’ lead in the proportion achieving A grades at A level was 0.8 per cent, at AS level the gap was four times as wide. Experts said that the modular format of AS-level courses had suited girls more than boys. From next year, they suggested, the change of style would cover the whole A-level course and was bound to be reflected in results.

The overall pass rate for the one-year AS levels was lower, at 86 per cent, than the 89.8 per cent at A level. But the examination boards attributed this to larger numbers taking a new examination in a broader range of subjects.

Only 80 per cent of those taking AS-level courses were covered by yesterday’s results, the remainder having chosen not to “cash in” their results. But Paul Sokoloff, the examination boards’ convenor, said that the missing results were in line with those published.

Complaints about the workload imposed by the new AS levels forced the Government to commission an emergency inquiry, but Mr Sokoloff declared them a “resounding success”, which would soon be used by universities as the basis for offers of places.

At A level, the proportion of top grades rose by 0.8 percentage points to 18.6 per cent. But mystery surrounded an apparent drop of 23,000 A-level entries in the 50th anniversary of the examination, when there was a 1 per cent increase in the number of 18-year-olds. Provisional results compiled at the end of last week showed almost 749,000 entries, compared to nearly 772,000 in last year’s statistics.

Mr Sokoloff admitted that the discrepancy could be partly down to late marking, with more results coming in after the deadline for the survey. He said that he was not aware of any “major delays” in the results, which will be published in schools this morning.

His comments will increase fears in schools that more students than usual will have to wait for their results. Examination boards have struggled to recruit enough markers to cope with AS levels, as well as the existing qualifications.

With the number of applications for higher education places rising by 10,000 this year, experts said that a decline at A level was unlikely.

Professor Alan Smithers, head of Liverpool University’s Institute for Education and Employment Research, said: “If numbers have dropped, it will be extremely bad news for the Government’s plans to expand higher education. Some universities would be taking practically anyone who applied.”

Stephen Timms, the School Standards Minister, said that students should feel a “real sense of achievement” over this year’s results, although critics again saw “grade inflation” in the improvement. But Mr Timms said: “For 50 years A levels have been a rigorous test of ability and they remain a crucial benchmark of quality.”

Business organisations were divided on the issue. John Roberts, who chairs the CBI’s education and training committee, said: “A levels remain highly valued by employers, so it’s good news that so many young people are getting good passes and are gaining vocational qualifications at the same level.”

However Ruth Lea, head of policy at the Institute of Directors, said: “We congratulate students for their success and hard work but, from an employer’s point of view, the A level now is not the A level of 20 years ago.”

Headteachers condemned her comments about grade inflation. David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “Any organisation that seeks to argue that the results signify a deterioration in standards should be treated with the contempt it deserves.”

Peter Smith, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: “This year’s A-level candidates have done a superb job. Hard-working students will be furious if their efforts are casually rubbished by ignorant doom-merchants.”

Doug McAvoy, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: “The sceptics should stop moaning and start celebrating along with our young people.”


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