political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Proud of My Niece
Yesterday, my niece Issy got 9 A* and two As in her GCSEs. Rather better than her uncle, who 32 years ago, got 4 Bs, 2 Cs, a D and an Ungraded in Physics.
Well done to your niece. I look forward to your blog attacking the media and politicians who's knee-jerk reaction is to beliitle young people who have done well, with their "exams are far too easy" nonsense. I'm sure she worked very hard for those results and no more deserves that rubbish than anyone else.
Without meaning to belittle your niece's achievement, doing really well in an exam where 98.7% of people pass is not that big a deal is it? In your day the results were set as a % for each year (x% got A, y% got B etc etc), so those that got good grades knew where they stood relative to their peers. Now an A or A* merely means you have jumped an increasingly low hurdle, but with no indication of how much further you could have gone. Not really very helpful to the person doing the exam, or anyone using the results to judge whether to employ said examinee.
Whilst one doesn't want to do down the achievenments of Issy, you'll probably find there's an equivalence in the grades over the years. Kids ain't smarter/cleverer than us old fogeys, its rather the methodology and manner of exams and learning and the narrower base.
It's terrible how all these driving tests are also getting easier and easier, so many more people pass them and pass them first time nowadays, even though they are meant to have got stricter over the years!
Iain, your results were almost exactly the same as mine but I wangled one A (3Bs,2Cs a D and a U in Physics) Were you "forced" to just do 8 and if you did the "arts" course (Art/RE/History/Geog) you only did one science which HAD to be Physics? I did but hated physics and was a whizz at Chemistry (which I got in evening classes after leaving school)
Thsi comment relates to A levels rather than GCSE's, but it shows how people find it easier to get high grades these days than in my time (late 60's). Then for my Maths, Further Maths and Physics A levels I sat a couple of papers on each subject at the end of two years + a Physics Experimental exam. Failure was failure and would have involved another year before a re-take was allowed, which had to be for the entire suvject. These days the subjects are 'modularised' and exams are spread over the two years, (AS and A papers) with the facility to re-sit individual modules several times. In this way, the student can concentrate on small areas of the subject and gain a good pass after repeated attempts, and then concentrate on the next module. My 'B' in Physics would have been a 'A*' if I could have adopted a similar exam routine!
Some of you are incredibly sad people. A simple congratulations would be fine. It isn't her fault that the exams might be easier and regardless of how hard or easy they are I am sure she worked very hard. And those are actually pretty excellent grades which will no doubt stand her in good stead for getting good a-levels and an excellent university or job.
And there is evidence that people are getting smarter in certain ways - check out the Flynn effect.
Yes but in those days GCEs properly tested you knowledge, unlike today's Micky Mouse multi modular exams which you can take in steps and repeat to improve your overall grade.
@edward westhead believe it or not there are some honourable exceptions in today's schools. The school which Bliar's kids attended as well as my daughter sticks to the old A level principle of taking all of the exams in the final term.
So in her final term my daughter took 3 AS and 3 A level papers for each of Maths, Chemistry and Biology. Not like the easy option of take and re-take attempted by most schools. They were two hour papers but even so.
Well done to your niece. I look forward to your blog attacking the media and politicians who's knee-jerk reaction is to beliitle young people who have done well, with their "exams are far too easy" nonsense.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure she worked very hard for those results and no more deserves that rubbish than anyone else.
Congratulations to your niece. Though even a 5 year old can pass a GCSE these days. http://bit.ly/acYi1P
ReplyDeleteAnd remember you & I took O Levels!
Well done to her. One has to point out, though, that 32 years ago the pass rate didn't look like an election result in former East Germany.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, did she take modern languages like her Uncle?
When GCSE's were first introduced an A grade was the equivalent of a GCE C grade.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to her and all who worked hard.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should ask for a copy of the papers she sat. I would be interested to hear your opinion of them.
Without meaning to belittle your niece's achievement, doing really well in an exam where 98.7% of people pass is not that big a deal is it? In your day the results were set as a % for each year (x% got A, y% got B etc etc), so those that got good grades knew where they stood relative to their peers. Now an A or A* merely means you have jumped an increasingly low hurdle, but with no indication of how much further you could have gone. Not really very helpful to the person doing the exam, or anyone using the results to judge whether to employ said examinee.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to your niece. Do you know what she's thinking of doing next?
ReplyDeleteSo basically she spelt her name correctly.
ReplyDeleteIain,
ReplyDeleteWhilst one doesn't want to do down the achievenments of Issy, you'll probably find there's an equivalence in the grades over the years.
Kids ain't smarter/cleverer than us old fogeys, its rather the methodology and manner of exams and learning and the narrower base.
Congratulations to Issy...and I expects she's proud of Uncle Iain,for different reasons !!
ReplyDeleteIt's terrible how all these driving tests are also getting easier and easier, so many more people pass them and pass them first time nowadays, even though they are meant to have got stricter over the years!
ReplyDeleteMy lad got one A and the rest Bs.
ReplyDeleteIain, your results were almost exactly the same as mine but I wangled one A (3Bs,2Cs a D and a U in Physics) Were you "forced" to just do 8 and if you did the "arts" course (Art/RE/History/Geog) you only did one science which HAD to be Physics? I did but hated physics and was a whizz at Chemistry (which I got in evening classes after leaving school)
Thsi comment relates to A levels rather than GCSE's, but it shows how people find it easier to get high grades these days than in my time (late 60's). Then for my Maths, Further Maths and Physics A levels I sat a couple of papers on each subject at the end of two years + a Physics Experimental exam. Failure was failure and would have involved another year before a re-take was allowed, which had to be for the entire suvject. These days the subjects are 'modularised' and exams are spread over the two years, (AS and A papers) with the facility to re-sit individual modules several times. In this way, the student can concentrate on small areas of the subject and gain a good pass after repeated attempts, and then concentrate on the next module. My 'B' in Physics would have been a 'A*' if I could have adopted a similar exam routine!
ReplyDeletethe ugraded in physics would explain your occasional lack of gravity then Iain?
ReplyDeleteigmc
:P
Some of you are incredibly sad people. A simple congratulations would be fine. It isn't her fault that the exams might be easier and regardless of how hard or easy they are I am sure she worked very hard. And those are actually pretty excellent grades which will no doubt stand her in good stead for getting good a-levels and an excellent university or job.
ReplyDeleteAnd there is evidence that people are getting smarter in certain ways - check out the Flynn effect.
Yes but in those days GCEs properly tested you knowledge, unlike today's Micky Mouse multi modular exams which you can take in steps and repeat to improve your overall grade.
ReplyDelete@edward westhead believe it or not there are some honourable exceptions in today's schools. The school which Bliar's kids attended as well as my daughter sticks to the old A level principle of taking all of the exams in the final term.
ReplyDeleteSo in her final term my daughter took 3 AS and 3 A level papers for each of Maths, Chemistry and Biology. Not like the easy option of take and re-take attempted by most schools. They were two hour papers but even so.