Fed up with the usual A level coverage

[SeriouslynotFred]

The usual Benjamin or Sophia opening envelope at grammar school with screams and a "I got 4 A stars. I'm going to blah de blah now". Well done, but seriously lots of it's down to lucky genes, tutors, family pushing. Privilege.

I also want to see the children who struggled but achieved despite background, slogged away from difficult start in life, no tutoring to take 11+ or private school and managed against odds for a group of Cs or Diploma and will do a useful plumbing, electrical, teaching, as well, rather than bloody fashion at London or maths.

Where's the range a d diversity in these stories. Bore feast.

I'm actually more fed up with people who use what they think of as "posh" names to put people down and think it's clever. It's very unimaginative and reeks of bitterness.

Brampton Manor’s sixth form is highly selective.

I’m all in favour of the school. But it’s ’A’-level results are not the result of usual comprehensive schooling.

You have no idea what is behind those A* grades though. You've sneeringly written them all off as "privilege" and "luck".

Some of them are. People are not born equal.

And a lot of them aren't.

Do you understand the meaning of the word 'some'?

Surely the point OP, is that we don't know. You have no idea if "Benjamin" (and I agree, I wish people would stop bloody doing that) had cancer as a child, or just lost a parent, or struggles with MH or has a parent who does. You just don't know. Yes of course it's true that some have an easier start or ride in life than others but there's not really any way of changing that short of full on dystopian mono-society.

I think society is a little better at recognising privilege which is good. When more young people are recognised rather than mainly the privileged it will be better, maybe more equal society. Everyone is valued. Sadly a run of Tory governments hasn't help the massive divide in society between the privileged and the rest.

Never mind, all schools will be equal soon

I also want to see the children who struggled but achieved despite background, slogged away from difficult start in life, no tutoring to take 11+ or private school and managed against odds for a group of Cs or Diploma and will do a useful plumbing, electrical, teaching, as well, rather than bloody fashion at London or maths.

Level 2 and 3 Diplomas and BTEC results are not announced on the same day, and those who studied a vocational course usually know what they've achieved much sooner than the A Level students. In our college, they get told by the end of term and various departments will have their own celebration or graduation event.

It's not national news in the same way as A Levels as there's no specific same date for all colleges to let theor students know whether they got a Pass, Merit or Distinction.

They'll be fine @SoupDragon don't worry. They aren't 'written off', far from it they have massive advantage.

What is needed is improvement in education for all.

On Radio 4 at lunch time, they interviewed three students. One had just got his results of a D and a C and was made up and very happy. He was going into work. Another girl from Margate had got ABB and was off to Durham to study English because she loves the subject - she was rather fab. The third one, I can't recall her name but it was South Asian/poss Sri Lankan and was thinking of going to be an apprentice- again, very happy. They were a far more diverse bunch than usual and all lovely.

I read the press release from my child’s comprehensive school. They had a mixture of results - some students got there A and A stars and off to RG unis, others took BTECs and others achieved the grades for competitive apprenticeships.
If they interviewed kids at a grammar then it’s unlikely that many get below a C and how many want it broadcast that they have had MH issues or other problems that made it harder to complete year 13 never mind pass exams? Those segments are based on people volunteering their results so will attract a certain type of personality.

That's lovely and so much better to hear of a range of successes. Success is not just A*, there are other successes.

I hope gradually more are reported.

Surely JaniceBattersby’s said everything that needs to be said about media coverage of exam results day?

There’s a perfectly good debate to be had about privilege and opportunity in education, and that debate often happens on MN. But media coverage of happy students is not part of it.

You are the one who wrote them all off as privileged when the majority aren't.

Clearly you don't understand the point. Unsurprisingly.

The majority of these As and A*s will be through bloody hard work. Same as some of those Cs and Ds. Sneering about "Benjamin'" and "Sophia" just makes you look nasty and shortsighted.

Anyway, I'll leave you to your little sneerfest.

and no, my child didn't get straight A*s yesterday.

It's wrong to be sneery at those getting those results, those kids have got the grades they deserve, it is not their fault if they are born to parents who are supportive/in a position on privilege/are naturally academic.

My friends DD got top set of extremely academic A levels and got into Oxford to do one of the hardest degrees you could do. She worked every hour she could, she has always been clever though so had that on her side. That is a luck though, she probably would have got at As or Bs without doing hardly anything, to get the As she had to put the work in. My DS got equivalent of 3 x As in a subject he is lucky enough to have a talent in, he did the minimum to get it done and had about 80% attendance (due to working in the field he was doing his course in not due to skiving). Unfortunately that is just life. He works hard at the area he is talented in but didn't need to work hard to get that grade, he actually missed 3 x As by a tiny margin, that's his own fault.

DS2 has additional needs, has the same home life, has to work 10 x harder and will just about scrape through GCSEs but due to his determination he has managed to get an extremely competitive apprenticeship even without getting his GCSE results yet. For me his is the story that the media should be picking up but that doesn't mean you should knock those who do well due to privilege.

There was a short video of a lad on the BBC who has earned his A Levels (not the top grades but he exceeded his own expectations) and is off to Australia on a gap year. He said something like: I'm not sure university is for me, so I'm going to take a year out to think about what I want. Whilst a gap year abroad is a privilege in itself (maybe he worked to earn the funds, no idea?!), I liked the attitude. I think when schools/colleges push the uni route and the majority of peers are aiming for uni, it can feel harder to take a different route.

Last year at my DC school (bog comp) they named some kids who had done exceptionally well ( four A star) and some who had made exceptional progress compared to when they joined which I thought was a really good way of doing it.

One parent complained that they should celebrate all students so now they just report on the numbers which is fine but much less personal.

I thought that was a shame. Doesn't matter whether your name is Jemima or Janet if you've done exceptionally well in raw or relative terms then this deserves celebration.

I went to a rare non-selective private school. As a general rule it therefore meant lots of the intake were kids of rich parents who wanted them to go private but they weren’t academic enough to pass entrance exams. Hardly anyone got A grades. So I can happily confirm that money doesn’t equal passing exams - there are plenty of rich non-academic kids out there…

When I was 16-18 I was too busy getting beaten black and blue at hone by my dad to get good grades. My grades went from B-A*s at GCSE to D-C at a level. I also had to work part time as my parents gave me no money. That time of life is difficult for so many people for so many reasons, it's nice when people do well but doing well isn't all just effort, it's stability and safety and health and lots and lots of other factors.

That’s a mean post and not even accurate. Coverage had been varied, from differing locations and social strata. Obviously those who have done extremely well are more keen to go on telly and talk.

Well done to all of them, exams are a slog.