A Levels 2023

[charliegolf]

A levels are the most important exams you'll ever take in the context of getting into uni, once you get in to the course and university of your choice you are almost guaranteed a degree as long as you keep your head down and work reasonably hard. A levels exams can be random and the results can be cruel especially now they are more exam based. Many uni courses are assessed on a continuing assignment/essay basis.

Blup

This. They (unless you do nothing at uni) are the most pressured exams you'll ever do.

 

[blup]

It is actually cheaper to provide tertiary education for free rather than require pointless qualifications for jobs that could be done without a degree...

But Universities are a business, and the bonus for government is to raise expectations needlessly in order to saddle the majority with a lifetime of debt before they even get started...

How come other countries can manage to get a highly educated population for free or almost free?

Recovering costs though loans is part of it yes, but politically easier to sell the chance for your kid to go to university when the alternative is dole. All for a wide range of education and training but for a purpose not in the hands of businesses

Blup

 

[charliegolf]

It's not a 'muck up', it's a system designed to favour the rich...

Because the gap between state and private school 'results' has widened again...

Any system that is set up to only give out a certain percentage of certain grades is open to manipulation and that is what happens...

More civilised countries (many in for example the EU/EEA) tend to have a simpler and more transparent system...

In that grades are awarded based on academic achievement, not by an arbitrary quota!

It's also easier for prospective employers/universities to compare results over different years.

Another stupidity about the UK system is that university places are usually given on a provisional basis rather than the far more logical idea about awarding places based on actual results!

And before the usual suspect chips in again about 'sour grapes', I attended a private school via a scholarship (which no longer exists) for part of my education...

And can thus see both sides of it!

Have a guess (a real one without google) what percentage of Cambridge entrants come from private schools. All genuine guesses welcome.

 

[ChesireCatPlumber24]

unless you need a degree for the type of job your going into then you'll literally be fine i've never even been asked about my a level results

 

[charliegolf]

There's plenty of places that take lower grades. I did a course that, if I recall correctly, only required 2 Cs.

The newer method is to offer the course, but conditional on doing a Year Zero, ie an extra 'foundation' year at a nearby partner college.

 

[JP_]

Have a guess (a real one without google) what percentage of Cambridge entrants come from private schools. All genuine guesses welcome.

I'll go with 45%.
Total guess, no idea! But guessing grammar schools send a lot of kids these days.
If course, grammar schools are often full of kids who had a private primary education ... something I thing should be stopped, or scaled back significantly.

A few friends got to Oxbridge.
Sad really though. One assimilated completely, never to be seen again.
A couple (twins) sailed through and left pretty much same
One, the closest friend, had a hard time adjusting. He told me about the first weeks at Oriel, trying to meet people, and walking by rooms of people in tuxedos and evening dresses, drinking champagne, and literally having nobody he could talk to - nobody welcomed the poor state educated kid.
Hopefully some things have improved since then, but I suspect its largely the same in many places. The money sticks together.

 

[Brigadier]

I'd guess at 25%, purely because I can't believe there are enough private schools to act as feeders for Cambridge, for it to be a higher figure.

 

[charliegolf]

I'd guess at 25%, purely because I can't believe there are enough private schools to act as feeders for Cambridge, for it to be a higher figure.

About right. My point was that many will assume OxBridge will be a private schools preserve. A pal started a job with a small Camb college where the intake over 90% state school.

JP, a bit out.

 

[JohnD]

IMO, a better test would be "what are the chances of a State School pupil getting to a top University

And what are the chances of a privately educated pupil"

I'm sure we can all agree that the private schools need and deserve their tax handouts.

Without the rest of us chipping in to give them a leg up, how would they ever get anywhere?