And I can't not comment! But once again what do you say? With over 97% of exams passed, is the A level really the exam you cannot fail? On the one hand, you don't want to do down those whose results have come out today, on the other hand, what do you say to those of us with low A level grades from over 20 years ago?
Was I really so terminally thick that I failed my English A level back in 1981 - or if the CEM Centre grade inflation is to be believed, my O at A level would actually get me in today's currency a nice little D or maybe even a C?
The government is apparently putting in place measures to make A levels more difficult from September (bad luck those of you starting your A level courses in 2008!), but will this make much difference? Can you imagine a politician standing up and saying that the pass rate has gone down now exams are more challenging and that this is a good thing? Not in a million years!
Those in academic circles know that standards are falling in A levels - behind closed doors it is debated, but never published and to use the phrase "dumbing down" gets you bullied, dismissed or your contract not renewed. The CEM Centre research quoted by the CBI earlier this week will be buried - which is a shame as these guys really know their stuff.
However when there is an attempt to re-base by changing the qualification structure, everyone seems to go to jelly. Tomlinson was reviled for his outstanding work on qualifications, and if the Diplomas are the back way to implementing his vision, so much the better.
The Daily Telegraph is perhaps not the best place to look for rational and impartial debate on this topic. I looked at the comment board on the A levels this morning and sincerely hope that Becky who commented at 8:16am as one of this year's breed of all A students wrote firmly tongue in cheek. Otherwise her examiner and her teachers should be sent to prison for stealing state money - they haven't educated her, she wasn't literate.
The columnist whose article got ripped apart was trying to make a decent point however. We can argue all we like about the standards at A level, but what about the depressingly large proportion of 14 year olds who lack literacy and numeracy skills? What about those who leave school with nothing, or worse leave school with one G at GCSE and are therefore not eligible for some forms of support as they have a (useless) qualification? If nothing else, doing A level study equips you with a few skills - not least being able to access the Daily Telegraph comments board - but to leave with no skills is a waste of opportunity.
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