The UK Today

Bravo Professor Adrian Smith. At last someone honest enough to admit that the current standards of numeracy are unacceptably low. Now all we need is the same for literacy.

Well, some positive news with regard to the proposed shake up of exams. Finally someone has realised that what is needed is tougher exams and less nannying questions, or basically a return to the state of exams during the mid 80's.

The concept of diplomas seems to be following the American model, and could be a step forward as well, as long as lessons are learned from the problems facing that system.

Once again, in a demonstration of the DfES strategy of "when the music stops, grab a policy", A-Levels are to undergo a shake up in order to make it easier for universities to distinguish between numerous candidates with A grades. And you can see the problem; last year more than 21% of students attained A grade passes at A level.

Now I may be being a bit dense here, but how about making the exams as tough as they used to be, and maybe a little tweaking of the grade boundaries? Actually the latter is being considered, though carefully given the 2002 fiasco where a couple of thousand grades had to be adjusted upwards.

Oh, I see, that's discriminatory against weaker students. How stupid of me not to realise. Can't have poor little Tommy feeling a failure because he only got a grade B now can we. Poor little chap might have to sue the exam board for emotional trauma of not getting straight A's.

Anyway, once again the whole system is being reviewed and while we may hope for some clarity, the most likely result is yet another set of standards and targets, leading to confusion. Then just as everyone begins to get used the new system, off goes the music at the DfES again.