Leading Article: Tell people about the hard subjects
Thursday, 3 July 2008
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So, it's official. Some A-levels are, indeed, more difficult than others. New research from Durham University confirms what many admissions tutors, teachers and parents have thought all along – that a good grade at A-level in chemistry, maths or physics is harder to achieve than a good grade in psychology or media studies.
This runs counter to a report earlier this year from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority that found there were no substantial differences in standards and it will re-ignite the debate about the choices young people are making in the sixth form. It will fuel the argument about whether or not they are being well advised by their teachers from the point of view of their long-term futures rather than the short-term advantage of the school.
In his article Trevor Fisher complains that state schools are in a bind, caught between the desires of young people to do cool subjects such as media or film studies, which are also easier, the needs of the school or college to maximise their league table position (through teenagers taking easy subjects) and the drive of the government to persuade as many young people as possible to stay in education.
What matters most is that the public is well informed about the relative standing of different subjects at A-level. Young people need to be told when they are in the fifth form and are deciding on what AS and A-levels to take that, if they choose too many of the easy subjects, they may not be able to get a place at a top university.
Universities make up the rules and places like Cambridge won't look at anyone who doesn't have at least two "hard" A-levels. If Ofqual published annual data on the relative difficulty of subjects to allow for more open and informed discussion of the topic, as the Institute of Physics suggests, that would be a step forward. It would certainly mean that universities would be fully aware of what it takes to get an A grade in chemistry as against an A in English. Honesty could also encourage the brightest children to try more difficult subjects, knowing that their achievement will be recognised and will result in bigger rewards.
If nothing is done, it is likely to mean that children in the weaker schools find that they can't get into the top universities or attain the jobs they want.
