The growing links between funding, courses taken and students’ exam results beggar belief.
GCSE resit pass rates for English and maths are slightly down on last year. At the other end of the spectrum, tougher exams saw even more students gain a clean sweep of top GCSE grades than last year - a 14% increase from 732 to 837 candidates!
At A-level, despite changes to curriculums and tougher exam papers, this year’s percentage of total students passing A-levels remained at exactly the same level as last year - 97.6% - according to a report leaked to the Daily Telegraph. The official explanation is that grading will compensate for this year’s candidates were among the first to take the reformed exams. But the fact remains that the maximum number of students possible have still become ‘qualified’ for some sort of university course.
In many cases, these are examples of past government attempts to keep students off the unemployment register and in full-time education or training.
The government tries hard not to fail anyone
For those who do get through level 2s and GCSEs, the doors to further study seem more open than ever. The government is doing its level best not to fail anybody, it seems. This year the exams regulator, Ofqual, said the maths GCSE exam was made much more challenging - but some, if not all, exam boards have changed the grade boundaries to maintain the same percentage of students passing the exam as last year. Where’s the sense in that?
The value of such exams gets eroded. Why make it much harder in the first place and why not keep the original boundaries? The truth is that the government doesn’t want anyone to fail if it can help it.
The surfeit of unconditional university places offered this year highlights the dual problems of, firstly, the government not knowing how to accommodate so many students falling short of realistic university entrance requirements and, secondly, universities’ desperation to fill places in order to get enough per head funding. During clearing this year, I’ve read about some universities offering bursaries to potential applicants to take up a place. This year there are also fewer students to go round because of a smaller demographic.
Colleges left high and dry
At FE level some colleges are refusing to offer level 3 BTecs as their students were failing them. I even heard that in level 2 courses, which include two exams, some institutions have allowed students to pass even if they fail the exams! How does that work? The explanation is that if you pass some of your practical assignments you can still get an overall pass. So what’s the point of exams?
I’ve heard of some colleges being ‘robbed’ of their foundation degree courses (for which they, of course, get vital funding). Students then top-up for a full degree by attending university for one or two years. I know at least one university that is telling new candidates that it will also run the foundation degrees - (and charge them full fees!) - while colleges (which have been charging 50% less in tuition fees) are left to bin their own courses they ran for the local university, find new income streams and maybe have to lay-off staff.
I came late to academia
I’d love to know the student drop-out figures in university first years - figures, strangely enough, that are not readily available from universities. Many students are being shepherded onto university courses they will struggle with - one of my students is a real trier but has struggled with level 2 and level 3 courses - he's just not very academic. T-levels are considered the new vocational answer for many more practically-minded individuals like him. We will see.
Like many college colleagues, I came late to academia, taking a degree when I’d worked for several years. Some of my teachers would have been shocked to see me now as a proud FE teacher. Everyone takes to learning in different ways but adult education has proved a successful route for so many turned off by school.
Surely the answer is to tap into what is a drip-feed of interest in self-improvement among many individuals who finally plunge back into education, armed with the experience of working, family responsibilities and a fresh outlook.
A key area for investment? Adult education
Adult education is where the government should be investing more in building up links with ex-college students. It’s about keeping their alumni informed - via their favoured form of social media and through their workplace - of events and courses at college that in any way identify with their interest profile that they showed while at college as teenagers.
The important thing is not to lose track of ex-students, however difficult that may be. You never know what could make them return.
