Despite this, I still find myself being puzzled by one of the news stories that has occurred since I wrote my last post. The 'A Levels are too easy' saga has continued this week with Education Secretary, Michael Gove, declaring that the exams do not prepare students for university.
Every year when both the GCSE and A Level results are revealed, journalists and various members of the public decide that they believe the exams are getting easier. To the irritation and anger of the students who have slaved away revising for their exams, these people have no idea of the amount of work that goes into the exams and having not sat the test themselves, it seems beyond me as to how they can possibly come to this conclusion.
As a 17 year old student, currently in the midst of revising for my first set of A Level exams, I am well aware that A Levels require hard-work, dedication and are definitely a huge stretch from the GCSE specification. Everybody talks about the jump from Key Stage 4 to Key Stage 5 as you begin your AS Levels in Year 12, however until you are in the position of working for the exams yourself, you cannot fully comprehend it.
In his report, Michael Gove shared his worries that the A Level specification is "falling short of commanding the level of confidence we would want to see". I would happily offer Gove the opportunity to take the step from Year 11 to Year 12 at any school across the country so that he can see the necessity of a development in maturity that all students seem to take on. Having chosen to stay on at a sixth form or college, the students doing their A Levels are well aware of the need to grow in confidence and maturity in order to achieve the grades they so desire. There is no point in sitting back allow teachers to "spoon-feed" you, as Gove reports, as the need to achieve is for the student's benefit and not that of the staff.
Gove's report also stated, how in the UK, "we are the only country who ask kids, very, very, very early on, at 16, to concentrate on just three subjects". At most sixth forms and colleges, students are encouraged to choose four subjects at the age of 16, which they will study in the first half of their A Level course as part of their AS exams, moving on to take just three as they do their A2 exams. By the time students finish their GCSEs, it can be very difficult to choose any more than four subjects which they are still passionate about and still enjoy to learn about. Taking any more than this amount would lead to a lack of interest and therefore a lack of motivation and success. I do not believe it is too early or that it leads to any less success by taking fewer subjects at A Level.
Furthermore, I couldn't possibly imagine taking on another A Level on top of the four that I already study. I put my absolute all into the subjects I take: English, German, ICT and Philosophy & Ethics. These are four very challenging and also rather varied subjects and provide me with the balance that I need and that I desire. I know, just like many other students, that if I were to take any more subjects, my success in each individual subject would most likely suffer.
The graph below shows the rise of the number of students receiving an A grade at A Level (please note that the A* grade only came into effect in 2010).
From this graph, many would assume, just like Michael Gove, that the rise would insinuate a progression of ease in the exams. However, could it not show a progression of intelligence across the country? With the use of the internet, for example, students have a much larger accessibility to information and to resources which can aid the studying process, allowing the percentage of A grades to increase over a period of time.
Teenagers are dealt with negative opinions of their generation by many citizens of the UK and it is too quick and simple to say that the increase of success of A Level grades could be a result of the exams becoming easier. It should be considered that perhaps teenagers aren't all 'chavs' and most of us are hard-working individuals who should be seen positively and praised for our success in exams, instead of dealt with the blow of the media suggesting that the results we have strived for are not as valuable as they may have been in years prior.
As results day looms in August, students are nervous enough for their results, without having to worry about what the media might choose to negate about them next.
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