Modified:
01 Sep 2009
by Admin
Vote totals:
Yes:
25%
No:
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DEBATE: A* GRADES AT A-LEVEL SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BY UNIVERSITIES.
Posted by: tehexile
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2102
A new A* grade is being introduced for A-level students sitting their final exams in 2010. It is awarded to those with a score of 90% or above in the exam. It was created as a reaction to the massive increase in straight-A students, the idea being that the more prestigious Universities will only accept A* grades for some courses. However, Oxford, Warwick and the London School of Economics, among other Universities, refuse to accept the grade. Some have concerns that it has not been properly tested yet and that it may reduce the number of students coming in from lower income areas. Others, such as Cambridge, readily accepted the new grade.
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A* GRADES AT A-LEVEL SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BY UNIVERSITIES.
Not tested.
One of the main problems with Universities accepting the A* in 2010 is that it has not been properly tested. It has only just been designed, it needs a proper trial period and some statistics on its effectiveness before Universities are going to trust it. Many Universities who reject it in 2010 have said that they are willing to consider implementing it in 2011 or 2012 if they see it working at other Universities.
If universities are not going to accept the A* grade on the basis that it hasn't been tested then they shouldn't accept the new specification qualifications on that same basis. The implementation of whole new syllabuses should be treated with much more trepidation than a symbol indicating a student scored above a certain percentage in their exams.
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A* GRADES AT A-LEVEL SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BY UNIVERSITIES.
Doesn't combat the actual problem.
The fact that there are so many students with straight A's implies that there is a serious problem with the examination system. Straight A's should be a meaningful achievement attained only by the most gifted of students. We need to get at the root of the problem by analysing what actually happens in exams to produce the errors. If the pattern continues without such an enquiry, there is a risk that the A*, like the A grade, will slowly become cheapened until there is just as much of a problem with everyone attaining A*'s.
Whilst it may be true that the high proportion of A grades is indicative of shortcomings within the education system, this in itself is not justification for not accepting the A* grade. If the A* is another discriminant that helps in distinguishing between candidates, why not?Alternatively, why not force students to declare their module marks? Surely this would allow for more in-depth analysis on the part of the universities?
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A* GRADES AT A-LEVEL SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BY UNIVERSITIES.
Students will gain more respect.
It is a common attitude now that exams are getting easier, that 'everyone has a degree' and that students aren't really intelligent. This is extremely demotivating and disrespectful for a hard-working student who really does want to do well academically. They feel that their A-level that they worked hard for two years to obtain doesn't count. The A* will be much harder to attain, making it count for more in the eye of the public. A student who really is intelligent and works hard will gain an A*, proving that they are worthy of the respect they deserve.
A* GRADES AT A-LEVEL SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BY UNIVERSITIES.
Easier to sort through students when it comes to University admissions.
According to the Telegraph, 'more than one in ten' A-level students, and 31% of students from fee-paying sixth form schools, now attain A's in every subject (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2558388/Straight-A-students-pose-selection-headache-for-universities.html). When trying to select students for the top courses with limited places, it is almost impossible to decide between them. Increasing the requirements to an A* is a good way of thinning out the numbers.
A* GRADES AT A-LEVEL SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BY UNIVERSITIES.
Rejecting the A* wouldn't help disadvantaged students.
Disadvantaged students have scored straight A's. Getting A* would become a difficult task for extra ordinary students as well . It is just the pressure of examination on a particular day which makes the difference of A* and A or a A & B. So it is meaning less to say accepting lower grades will ruin the reputation of high achievers.A* will not only create extra bit of pressure on disadvantaged students but on others too, this can result in over all decrease in percentage too. On the other hand when we talk about A achievers, they are best 10% of the total among the students world wide. A* achievers will only 2 to 4% of the whole. If universities pick only these students for any particular course then it is discouragement for those brilliant students, especially for disadvantaged students who worked hard more than others and got A, because of it he did not get the course he wanted to study.
Students who are receiving lower grades because they are financially or otherwise disadvantaged aren't likely to be getting straight A's in the first place, so why would the A* affect them? If the Ministry of Education really wants to help these students, it should do something like give out more EMA or increase spending on disability support. If the students are helped properly, they will get high grades just like their fellow students - disadvantaged students aren't actually less intelligent! Accepting lower grades will just ruin the reputation of students in general even more than it is now.
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Vote on the overall debate: A* grades at A-level should not be accepted by Universities.
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admin
|07:55, 23 March 09
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Tortfeasor
|19:22, 01 September 09
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|07:56, 23 March 09
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|05:51, 22 June 09
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