A-level Reform

Amber Rudd Excerpts
Wednesday 23rd January 2013

(11 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Elizabeth Truss Portrait Elizabeth Truss
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I do not think that is true. I think modularisation has encouraged a “learn and forget” culture, in which students study something, do the exam and then forget about it, moving on to the next chunk. Many of the subjects that students study at school build on previous elements, so it is an important discipline to be able to understand everything about the subject at the end of the course, rather than forget about something learned earlier. The other issue is the amount of time involved: we are spending a term of time doing exams rather than providing students with extra learning opportunities.

Amber Rudd Portrait Amber Rudd (Hastings and Rye) (Con)
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Recently, A-level students have had the daunting prospect of aiming not just for As but for A*s. Will the Minister tell us what impact she expects this reform to have on the grade inflation that has been experienced with A-levels and GCSEs?

Elizabeth Truss Portrait Elizabeth Truss
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By linking A-levels more closely to universities, their entrance requirements and the skills and knowledge they possess, we will see a better control on standards.