IoD calls for change to exam grading after record pass rate

The
Institute of Directors (IoD) has called on the Government to restructure the
grading system for A-levels after another increase in students getting top
grades this year.

However,
the IoD said employers continue to value A-levels and there was no need to
replace them with a multi-tiered diploma, as advocated by Mike Tomlinson’s
Committee on Educational Reform.

James
Walsh, policy adviser at the IoD, said there might be a case for altering the
examination to ensure that a smaller proportion of students achieve an ‘A’
grade. This would also help to ensure that passes at grades ‘B’ and ‘C’
continue to command respect, he said.

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"As
far as employers are concerned, the main problem with the examination system is
not A-levels, but rather the fact that too many children leave school with low
levels of literacy and numeracy,” Walsh said. “These problems develop in
primary and early secondary school, not post-16 study."

By Michael Millar