Today’s physics news: A-level results 2012: A grades fall, and more…

Today’s physics news: A-level results 2012: A grades fall, and more…

A-level results 2012: A grades fall

The share of A-level entries getting the top grade has fallen for the first time in two decades in results published on Thursday for more than 300,000 candidates. Results show that 26.6% of grades issued this year are A or A*, a fall of 0.4% compared with last year. The overall pass rate at all grades has risen for the 30th successive year to 98%.

Guardian

A-level results: a day to celebrate

In this comment piece, David Willetts says that young people should ignore the cynics and the grumblers as they have achieved a significant landmark in their lives. He says the overwhelming majority of students who want a university place will get one, even if they haven’t achieved the grades they hoped for, while others will find there are alternative education and training opportunities.

Guardian 

Higher counsel is no solution to exam divorce issues

Allowing universities to control A levels will not make the qualification more academically rigorous, education experts have claimed. Tina Isaacs, a former head of regulation at Ofqual for 14- to 19-year-olds’ qualifications, said the move would do little to tackle grade inflation. Jo-Anne Baird, Pearson professor of educational assessment and director of the Centre for Educational Assessment at the University of Oxford, said that grade inflation is also an issue in higher education, so universities are not necessarily the answer.

Times Higher Education