15 August 2013 A-Level results: Discussion thread - results day is here!

This is simply incorrect. You have read the independent article without actually thinking about its context.

Oxbridge and other top Universities are quoted in saying that they don't want AS-Levels to go. The main reason for this is simple; a large part of their admissions decisions are based off of AS-Level grades. GCSEs are terrible at distinguishing between the top ~25% of pupils in any subject and top Universities, given the choice, would never want the only results they receive upon the time application to be GCSEs.

Even if the Universities hold other reasons, the fact that this is an contributing factor does somewhat invalidate the decision to call upon their view in such a discussion. But obviously the newspaper is just going to skim over that to make their own article seem stronger and hope that most readers won't be able to read between the lines.

Quoting or referencing newspapers is rarely a good idea. (Though it could have been worse, it could have been the Daily Mail).

Disagree. He has said, time and time again, his primary aim is to compete with other countries, to try and make the UK some sort of educative beacon that can compete with the rising powers in Asia. It's competition, for potential investors, not a means to increase social mobility.

True,although they say that school dinners tend to be healthier than packed lunches. Of course healthier and tastier are two different things.

I'm guessing you're not talking about innate intelligence?

Rubbish. Wealth is highly correlated with intelligence, from the earliest ages. Before children start education, richer children are already about a year above their poorer peers.

Wow everyone should seriously consider joining a debating society when they get to uni reading all these private versus state school arguments!

I wouldn't say it's coincidental that wealth and intelligence are correlated, it's because the parents who earn a lot usually have good degrees and pass on their academic genes to their children.

I don't see why so many people see this as a problem

Disagree. He has said, time and time again, his primary aim is to compete with other countries, to try and make the UK some sort of educative beacon that can compete with the rising powers in Asia. It's competition, for potential investors, not a means to increase social mobility.

That's one of his aims - but the top of Britain already out-performs most countries, it's the bottom that leaves us behind. His general aims are to place more rigour in the education system. He wants everyone to have an education similar to that of the best private and state schools. He believes that by making exams harder, he will force state schools to up their game, making education in the state sector similar to that of the private. Why do you think he place Michael Wilshaw as HM's Chief Inspector? Wilshaw ran a state school like an independent one, with strict discipline and academic rigour, getting many children from a poor inner-city area into the best universities. He holds schools like Mossbourne up as examples of what he wants our education system to be like.

Wow. I didn't even know about the personal statement in May of AS.

Explain how the UK becomming an "educative beacon" to the rest of the world is a bad thing exactly.. ? To me, that seems like a good idea.

That's not intelligence, raw intelligence is unique and random! However, the wealthier harness the intelligence and that's why.

I disagree that in nursery rich children are smarter.

its simple wealth means you can afford a private school where you find one teacher teaching a relatively small group of students at a time. Whereas at a state school one teacher can be teaching up to thirty students. Therefore at state schools you don't get the opportunity of having a teacher go round to students one by on and giving you in depth help as there are too many students in a class. Whilst In a private school the teacher can spend lots of time with each student. I have been to both private and state schools however at private schools teachers will sit will sit with each student and literally write their course work for them. As a result even the not so bright at private will do well at GCSE'S AND A-levels. don't forget private tuition as well--money buys that.

They're not more intelligent than anyone else. What rubbish. That is the height of snobbery. You're mistaking intelligence with better-educated. The difference in educational output between kids who go to state schools and kids who go to private schools is a big one, that's why they seem more intelligent - they glisten with the sheen of an expensive, superlative education which most people can't access! Wealth has no correlation with intelligence. A good education is the result of dedication, not the speed of which someone can work out the square root of 1 million.

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Please don't intertwine my point of view with James'. I don't care what his views are and what he previously wrote, I just didn't agree with the point about pushy parents not being a problem. I'm not talking about parents that help their students find their aptitudes and then give full control over to them (with some firmness so that time isn't completely wasted); this isn't pushy. I'm talking about those parents with high expectations that don't let their children forget how much pressure lies on their schooling success, who do actually force textbooks and ridiculous study hours down their throats - because these kids won't perform to the best of their capabilities, despite how it may seem that they do because of A levels and how limited its ability to measure true success and aptitude.

I absolutely love DEFTO's video.

I didn't sign up for Edexcel online results by June 30th... Does that mean I can't get them online?

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