Standards for Entry to University

[mollymole]

perhaps it is time to look at a minimum standard for all courses of 3 Grade C's and to make a more standardised entry requirement for each course.
one of my friends proudly announced recently that her son had been accepted on an accountancy degree course with 2 D's and an E !!!
also
whilst there will always be the favoured universities (who generally set the highest requirements for their courses) it does not make sense that the same course can vary in
points required from 360 at one establishment to 200 at another

courses that are not worth 3 C's should not attract degree status and should be delivered at colleges etc.

[sayithowitis]

In general I agree, but from experience I know that sometimes, things happen that have a terrible effect on a students A Levels. What do you suggest we do about those students? You see, someone very close to me had a prolonged ( and totally out of character) absence from school during their A2 year. It meant that whatever they did, they were never going to get better than the levels your friend's Ds achieved. Thing is, the person I know should have been a straight A student. Thankfully, their chosen University recognised that, and because of medical evidence and the school's reference, decided to give them a chance. And at the moment, this person is proving them right by achieving marks that are putting them well on the way to a first in their traditional science subject.

So, as I say, whilst in principle, it is a great idea, there will always be some exceptions.

[mollymole]

I do agree that there would have to be exeptions - my own son was very ill with glandular fever for nearly a year (fortunately he still managed his grades with extra help from his school) and only had 50% attendance over this time - the schools and universities can and should accept medical evidence in these cases.

[EduStudent]

As long as exceptions are made, I can see a point for this.

One of my friends is completing a Primary Teaching degree with French specialism. Her offer was 2 Es at A Level and a B in GCSE French [hhmm]

[catholicatheist]

yeah bring back the old polytechnic system at least people understood then who was graduate calibre and who wasnt. People who get three F's at A level should not be able to do a degree course! You are not University educated if you have been to some crap ex poly who give degrees out like smarties because they have no choice given the academic credentials of their students!

[mumeeee]

Youcan't het 3 F's at A level. The Grades are A ( well A star now) to E

[dotnet]

I wonder if 'crap ex polys' really do give out degrees like smarties. I went to a poly in the early 1970s and did an external degree of London University. I'm therefore a London University graduate, 'crap poly' or not.
Presumably degree courses now are looked at just as closely as they were then?

I think it is just conceivable that people's brain power has gone up in the last 30 years. This generation is significantly taller - that's a physiological change - perhaps their brains have improved as well.
I know that I was impressed, looking at my dd's homework in the sixth form, to see that 'A' level work didn't appear to have been dumbed down in the least.

[Copper]

My ds just scraped 2 Cs and a D - he is dyslexic and the only help he got from school was to be called lazy because his written homework did not match his contribution in class. Oh, and he got an extra 15 minutes for his exams.

He has gone to an ex-poly - which has a very good reputation for teaching. He was eligible for DSA which provided him with a laptop, really helpful software and the means to record his lectures.He is working incredibly hard - and for his first piece of work he got 95%.


How many people like him are there? Universities can be really helpful once you are in, but for many dyslexics getting in is almost impossible. Interviews would help - but 3 Cs minimum would have ruled him out.

[PonderStibbonsandHex]

catholicatheist, people who went to polys also graduated with degrees. The nature of the degrees tended to be different to the old universities (and still often is). I gained a First in the early '90's from a "crappy" ex-poly (oh, hang on a minute, it was one of the best in the country for that particular subject area) and I then went to an outstanding old University to do my PhD. Still, I guess, I'm clearly not "graduate calibre" then . Oh well.

[snowy91]

right ok...

i'm at uni and got BCD at a level (if I got one less mark i would have got BCE)
i'm at an ex-poly and love it....
the traditional uni's don't do my degree so i had no choice anyway but I could have done better but I was ill and have loads of rubbish going on in my life so didn't do great...

if that law ever ever ever came in I think I'd leave the country because it would be the worst law they'd ever passed...

[KatieScarlett2833]

Yes, because some random test of subject knowledge taken while emotionally still a child should, of course, be accepted as the holy grail indicator of future intelligence potential.