Grades drop but university places rise

AS STUDENTS across the country nervously await their exam results universities are struggling to fill the places available. 

Analysts have predicted that the number of top grades achieved will have dropped for the third year running. With even Russell Group universities suffering from an excess of places they may find that they are still able to get into their first choice establishment nonetheless.

Earlier this week Education Secretary Nicky Morgan dismissed concerns over the predicted drop in results.

"What really matters isn’t that numbers rise, but that standards rise. So no matter what the results, there is one important thing to remember.

“Each and every single pupil this year can be confident that the results they worked so hard to achieve represent real achievement – and will give them a better, brighter start in life.”

While the proportion of sixth form leavers entering higher education has increased the diminishing number of 17 and 18 year olds is putting pressure on universities to be more flexible with the entrance grades they will accept.

"Some Russell Group universities may still have places available in some subjects for students who have done better than expected," said the group's director general, Wendy Piatt.

"There may also be places available for highly-qualified students who have narrowly missed out on their first choice."

The view was backed by Nick Foskett, vice-chancellor of Keele University, who told the BBC: "More students are likely to be accepted into their first choice, even if their grades are slightly lower than universities requested."

The continued drop in high level grades is likely to cause concern amongst some in the education establishment. Experts have tried to allay fears by predicting a more stable level of results due to changes in grade inflation imposed by regulatory body Ofqual.

 Prof Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, was reported as saying:

“Ofqual has already concluded that there had been grade inflation in the past.

"Results were not reflected in improvements in understanding of subjects.

“It has attempted to regulate the outcome by looking at prior attainment of the students and this has – in the last two years – brought down performance at the higher grade levels

“The further application of that approach will mean that we are more likely to see a slight drop than an increase in grades this year, but the more likely outcome will be a set of results that are, in fact, very similar to those seen in 2013.”

Despite more opportunities for university places any drop in results is likely to be latched onto by opposition MP's as education becomes a crucial battlefield in the run up to the 2015 General Election.

Results have dropped in recent years from a previous high in 2010 and 2011 of 27 per cent for high grades.   

An evolving argument on creationism

CALLS to have creationism banned in all science lessons have renewed following allegations of fundamentalist teaching in some British schools.

The ongoing storm about extremist Islamic views in schools in Birmingham has led to questions about religious ideology being taught as fact in other areas.

Speaking on the British Broadcasting Corporation's Newsnight program President of the

Association of Science Education, Professor Alice Roberts, gave substance to claims that some schools are still teaching a fundamentalist Christian belief as scientific fact.

Currently approximately 30 schools in the UK use the Accelerated Christian Education syllabus during science lessons. 

ACE teaches children creationism over evolution, that the world is only a matter of thousands, rather than billions, of years old and that the bible is the final authority on scientific matters.

Professor Robert's has made previous calls for creationism to be restricted to religious education, rather than being included in science lessons.

“There should be regulation that prevents all schools, not just state schools, from teaching creationism because it is indoctrination, it is planting ideas into children’s heads,” she told TES in January. “We should be teaching children to be much more open-minded.

“People who believe in creationism say that by teaching evolution you are indoctrinating them with science, but I just don’t agree with that. Science is about questioning things. It’s about teaching people to say, ‘I don’t believe it until we have very strong evidence.’”

In a statement on its website Christian Education in Europe, which sets out the ACE curriculum, defended its stance.

"Like all curricula, there are areas that may be considered sensitive and contentious depending on one’s personal social, cultural or religious beliefs, but we encourage the teacher/parent to handle these with love and sensitivity. Our curriculum does point to God as the creator; this is a view we are entitled to hold as there is enough robust debate around the question of evolution/creation within the scientific community itself to make this a valid decision, based on personal choice."

In January the UK Department of Education ratified moves to ban the teaching of creationism as science, and to remove funding from free schools which continue to do so. This has not stopped some private schools from continuing to follow the controversial curriculum. 

The debate has not been limited to the UK, however. A recent Gallup poll revealed that 42 per cent of Americans still believed that the biblical interpretation of creation held more weight than evolution. According to reports some ACE textbooks state:"The evolutionist needs some kind of a god with rules to explain what exists today, or he cannot explain it; and yet, he rejects such a god.

"It is more responsible and more reasonable to presuppose that God exists and then pick up the Bible and read 'In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth' (Genesis 1:1).

"Then you can see purpose in Creation, understand change, accept miracles, and know that His purpose has a goal."