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AIBU?

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Original poster

A level grades

678 replies

DolphinFC · 10/08/2021 10:25

If feel that value of an A grade ar A level has been reduced dramatically. I feel truly sorry for those very bright, hard-working students who would've got an A grade no matter what. Their deserved A grade is now lost in a pile of undeserved A grades.

OP posts:
sst1234 · 10/08/2021 10:59

@Bryonyshcmyony

Tbh I agree with you. I say this as a parent whose child got top grades, which were as predicted-DD feels a bit rubbish about them and almost as if they are undeserved

She can only feel good about them if more people do worse than her?

Yes that’s how the real world works. There are only a finite number of university/training courses and desirable jobs. You have to better than you competition to get them. Everyone’s a winner nonsense does not translate in the big bad world.
Bryonyshcmyony · 10/08/2021 10:59

I think people will be surprised at how well these young people will do at uni. Dark mutterings about someone who may have got a B in their exam getting an A and this somehow meaning they aren't up to uni is just silly

And if that's what you really believe then it's the unis who are exploiting the grade inflation to fill their courses

SusannaM · 10/08/2021 10:59

Some schools followed government advice and awarded the same percentages of grades as in previous years. Their students are now massively disadvantaged.

Our school has done this too.

user1471428785 · 10/08/2021 11:03

'In a couple of years time, this will all be background noise. Once you either have a degree and / or or have been in a job for a bit and have employment experience, employers’ interest in whether you got an A or a B in English Literature when you were 18 dramatically tails off.'

This

Bryonyshcmyony · 10/08/2021 11:03

@user1471428785

'In a couple of years time, this will all be background noise. Once you either have a degree and / or or have been in a job for a bit and have employment experience, employers’ interest in whether you got an A or a B in English Literature when you were 18 dramatically tails off.'

This

Yup.
alwayslearning789 · 10/08/2021 11:04

Very Very Happy with the results, Thanks Smile

Saucery · 10/08/2021 11:04

I’d hope along with the determination to gain an A or A* I’d raised a child who didn’t look at peers and sneer at the results they got or feel their own were somehow devalued by them.

Watchingyou2sleezes · 10/08/2021 11:04

@ShaunaTheSheep

Employers will just downgrade whatever the CV says for students who got their qualifications in 2020 or 2021.

Why?

What a load of tosh. And I say this as a parent of hardworking, bright DC with excellent grades, who, yes, were top of their classes and would've got them anyway. These kids have had a sh*t time and have not had the opportunity to prove themselves.

We will be.
Bryonyshcmyony · 10/08/2021 11:05

@Saucery

I’d hope along with the determination to gain an A or A* I’d raised a child who didn’t look at peers and sneer at the results they got or feel their own were somehow devalued by them.
Yes I must say I completely agree with this.
Bryonyshcmyony · 10/08/2021 11:06

Watchingyou2sleezes
So you just won't employ anyone from the 2021 cohort?

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 10/08/2021 11:06

@Bryonyshcmyony

Tbh I agree with you. I say this as a parent whose child got top grades, which were as predicted-DD feels a bit rubbish about them and almost as if they are undeserved

She can only feel good about them if more people do worse than her?

Where did I suggest that?!!! It is clear that I meant that she wanted to have done an exam to have real evidence of her achievement. Not to feel good about herself because others did worse but to feel good about herself because she has worked her bloody socks off and wanted the prize of that. It has taken the shine off what getting a top grade actually means. Nearly 50% of this cohort are not elite intellectuals and that is the issue here. It gives those young people a false narrative as to where they actually are and some may struggle going forwards at university because of it. And you are showing a real lack of understanding about what these children have gone through and how they have experienced it.

Generalpost · 10/08/2021 11:07

@tiredofthisshit21

OP I suspect you don't have a child receiving exam results today. Your post is extremely insensitive.
I agree with you . I don't have am education at all left school with nothing. Dd scraped through her gcses several years back. But DS done his A levels and has done well . Well I'm proud of him anyway. But hey familys like mine don't deserve it. Speak about piss on someone's parade.
Antiqueanniesmagiclanternshow · 10/08/2021 11:07

Just fuck. Right. Off.

Potatoy · 10/08/2021 11:07

How do you know they didn't all deserve the grade.

Potatoy · 10/08/2021 11:08

Their deserved A grade is now lost in a pile of undeserved A grades. so rude. You have no idea if any of those grades were undeserved. These are people you're talking about not figures.

Bryonyshcmyony · 10/08/2021 11:08

[quote MrsElijahMikaelson1]@Bryonyshcmyony

Tbh I agree with you. I say this as a parent whose child got top grades, which were as predicted-DD feels a bit rubbish about them and almost as if they are undeserved

She can only feel good about them if more people do worse than her?

Where did I suggest that?!!! It is clear that I meant that she wanted to have done an exam to have real evidence of her achievement. Not to feel good about herself because others did worse but to feel good about herself because she has worked her bloody socks off and wanted the prize of that. It has taken the shine off what getting a top grade actually means. Nearly 50% of this cohort are not elite intellectuals and that is the issue here. It gives those young people a false narrative as to where they actually are and some may struggle going forwards at university because of it. And you are showing a real lack of understanding about what these children have gone through and how they have experienced it.[/quote]
Erm no
My own dd got 2 x A stars and an A
She's delighted
She's happy for all her friends who did well
She's gutted for a friend who did worse than predicted so much so she's invited friend round to stay the night and asked us to delay celebrations
She's a nice person

Whatafustercluck · 10/08/2021 11:09

I can't get worked up about it. 18 months of disruption to their education which could easily seriously damage life chances as a result. We're not talking the difference between an A and D grade here. We couldn't return to the fiasco of Etonians being awarded the highest grades based purely on their school's historic results, while those hard working students in areas of deprivation paid the price. This is the fairest way of ensuring equality of opportunity to reduce the attainment gap that would otherwise likely arise as a direct result of Covid.

LindaEllen · 10/08/2021 11:09

I think it's a bit heartless to be posting this today, but I do think some students will have got away with more this year than they would have done in 'normal times'.

DSS for example did absolutely nothing at all, for two years. He was spoonfed his coursework (which he handed in two months late after missing 4 deadlines) and given the 'exam' questions each a week in advance, so all he did was learn a bit of content for those questions and nothing more. He didn't get out of bed to go to his Zoom lessons over lockdown and was often late to college.

If these were 'normal times' there is no doubt he would have failed every single subject. I don't know what he's actually got yet, but DP asked his tutors at parents evening whether he would even pass and they said yes, he should do.

I mean, I want him to get into a uni, of course I do, but this is teaching him absolutely nothing about the value of working for what you want.

Bryonyshcmyony · 10/08/2021 11:10

Tell your dd to be happy with her results. She never knows, she could have had a shite exam or misread the question or any number of bad days.

silverstrawberry · 10/08/2021 11:11

From what I can see not all teachers have been consistent and they are graded only on what they have been taught.Therefore it would be unfair to grade as they have always done in the past because each pupil has been through a turbulent year no pupil has been through the same years experience so I don't see why people are getting anxious about it

Bryonyshcmyony · 10/08/2021 11:12

@LindaEllen

I think it's a bit heartless to be posting this today, but I do think some students will have got away with more this year than they would have done in 'normal times'.

DSS for example did absolutely nothing at all, for two years. He was spoonfed his coursework (which he handed in two months late after missing 4 deadlines) and given the 'exam' questions each a week in advance, so all he did was learn a bit of content for those questions and nothing more. He didn't get out of bed to go to his Zoom lessons over lockdown and was often late to college.

If these were 'normal times' there is no doubt he would have failed every single subject. I don't know what he's actually got yet, but DP asked his tutors at parents evening whether he would even pass and they said yes, he should do.

I mean, I want him to get into a uni, of course I do, but this is teaching him absolutely nothing about the value of working for what you want.

Well if he ends up with 3 As then yes thats pretty undeserved but he's not likely to is he?
Theredjellybean · 10/08/2021 11:13

None of us are saying your dc aren't nice people etc.
But really, a* Was introduced to distinguish the very highest ability students, the very few, rare intellectually outstanding pupils.
Do you really believe that near on 30% of this years pupils fall into that category?

Bryonyshcmyony · 10/08/2021 11:14

@Theredjellybean

None of us are saying your dc aren't nice people etc. But really, a* Was introduced to distinguish the very highest ability students, the very few, rare intellectually outstanding pupils. Do you really believe that near on 30% of this years pupils fall into that category?
Who cares? Really? Maybe they do. Maybe they've had bugger all to do except work and that's improved their grades hugely.
WeAllHaveWings · 10/08/2021 11:14

@Bryonyshcmyony

Tbh I agree with you. I say this as a parent whose child got top grades, which were as predicted-DD feels a bit rubbish about them and almost as if they are undeserved

She can only feel good about them if more people do worse than her?

Ridiculously naive comment. The whole point of exams is to grade academic achievement. If 44% achieve A and higher that grading system is broken and disadvantages students.
gogohm · 10/08/2021 11:14

My DD's are really annoyed as they worked hard for their A's and b's and have a rubbish deal at university who aren't making allowances for the difficult circumstances. They are worried they could miss out on jobs because they didn't get a*'s and their degrees aren't as high as if they hadn't missed so much in person teaching (dd 1 has had none at all)