GCSE results: the shadow of the 1944 Education Act still lurks
GCSE results in England and Wales were released on 25th August and the conundrum about who achieves what grade and why continues.
The BBC reported:
The proportion of top grades – 7/A and above – is 26.3%. Again, that is higher than 2019 (20.8%) and lower than 2021 (28.9%).
Ofqual, England’s exam watchdog, took the decision to reach this “midway point” in the “interests of fairness” to students whose education was disrupted.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-62498631
The perhaps obvious point here is that Ofqual have determined an artificial quota for those who achieve the top grade. It is lower than in 2021 but higher than 2019. Why however is it not the case that anyone student who meets the criteria for achieving the top grade receives it. In 2022 its clear that some who met the criteria in 2021 would not have this year.
This seems to go further than just sense of fairness checking between individual examiners to make sure broadly similar grades are given for broadly similar papers. It suggests rather a worldview where only a certain number can achieve. In the 1944 Education Act it was stated that 25% would go on to University and 75% would not.
The world has changed since then, University education has expanded and there is a much increased demand for those with qualifications. Now of course it might be argued that qualifications shouldn’t matter, capability and aptitude should. In a saner world one would hope so. In the meantime its surely worth asking what the pass/fail mentality of 1944 is doing still lurking in 2022
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