It would be easy to pass off Sir Richard Sykes' remarks about A-Level 'grade inflation' and his announcement of Imperial College’s intention to set its own entry tests as, perhaps, more a passing shot than a studied observation of the quality of aspirants for courses at his university. He may be stepping down from the rectorship of Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine later this Summer, but these issues have occupied the council of governors of this august institution for a good part of Sir Richard’s tenure, and there may be good grounds for his concern.
The politically non-aligned think-tank, Reform (www.reform.co.uk) earlier this week released the results of research into the decline in mathematics uptake and achievement among school leavers. The UK's 'maths economy', which powers the financial services sector and wider industry, is apparently in danger of atrophy as fewer students study the subject and attainment fails. According to Reform, the diminution of the O-Level/GCSE, which has gone from being a key 'staging post' to a 'tick-box test', is at the core of the problem.
In its analysis of O-Level/GCSE examinations over the period 1951 to 1970, Reform concludes that theses were a “rigorous test of thought and initiative” in algebra, arithmetic and geometry. Students were required to think for themselves. But by 1980, questions were becoming simpler and following the introduction of the GCSE, there was a “sharp drop” in difficulty, with questions leading pupils step-by-step to a solution.
Reform places a great deal of blame for this set of circumstances at the foot of governments, both past and present. The unintended consequences of politicisation and centralisation have included de-motivated teachers, falling interest in the subject of mathematics among pupils and – pointedly – an exclusion of universities and employers from education policy. Targets and league tables have been unhelpful, placing pressures on institutions and examination boards, which Reform believes have led to declining examination standards.
Radical measures will have to be taken to move mathematics from “geek to chic”, as Reform rather neatly puts it. However, can we rely solely on governments to reverse the trend? The educational establishment has its own ‘self-help’ groups such as the Math Recovery project to help teachers instil numeracy skills at the earliest stages of children’s school careers. But back to Imperial and its plans.
In an address to the Independent Schools Council’s annual conference in London this week, Sir Richard Sykes said that examination grade-inflation had “destroyed” the role of A-Levels in selecting undergraduates. Imperial’s reaction - to introduce its own entrance tests, which, on the face of it, appear to be intelligence tests to assess a candidate’s potential for creativity and analytical ability – is really not surprising, and certainly nothing new.
Oxford and Cambridge have set their own entrance exams for years. And though I didn’t myself aspire to such lofty educational heights, I do recall joining the few of my slightly older school chums who took an extra year in the sixth form to study for their Cambridge Science Tripos entrance exam. I was lucky enough to have an inspiring teacher who thought we ‘Red-Brick’ hopefuls would benefit from such an exercise; some of us got a ‘merit’ or even a ‘distinction’ in the A-Level physics ‘special’ paper, thanks to this extra curricula activity – but then, who’s bragging?.
Sir Richard is certainly not discounting A-Levels altogether - good A-Level results will still be needed from entrants as evidence of their education. But with candidates arriving at the door on Exhibition Road with four or more high grade A-Levels, the standard for selection is becoming ever more blurred. In Sir Richard’s view, A-Level results can no longer be relied upon as the discriminatory factor when selecting candidates for some of the toughest science and engineering courses in the land.
Les Hunt
Editor
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