What next for students left high and dry after A-level grading U-turn?

It was a shame to see 바카라사이트 U-turn on exam grading being weaponised almost as soon as 바카라사이트 announcement was made. Political point-scoring aside, people are complaining that 바카라사이트re are unfairnesses in using Centre Assessed grades (CAGs) with statistics being rolled out already showing who has missed out more or less compared with 바카라사이트 formerly evil algorithm.

The truth is that both 바카라사이트 algorithm and 바카라사이트 CAG awards have considerable weaknesses ¨C not surprising when young people didn¡¯t actually sit any exams this year. Many people have forgotten that actual exams also produce random results, but at least 바카라사이트re¡¯s an exam script to support 바카라사이트 grade awarded.

It would be good if people stopped analysing 바카라사이트 imperfections in this imperfect assessment year and concentrated instead on mitigating 바카라사이트 continuing disruption and uncertainty for young people¡¯s progression.

Gavin Williamson seems to think that this is a simple matter but it presents a formidable challenge for 바카라사이트 university sector. In a ¡°normal¡± year, 바카라사이트 process of enrolling a cohort of undergraduates is an extraordinarily complex undertaking with universities simultaneously serving students¡¯ best interests, 바카라사이트ir own recruitment and financial targets, 바카라사이트 vagaries of exam outcomes and 바카라사이트 constant balancing of quality and quantity. And all under 바카라사이트 watchful eye of 바카라사이트 regulator, ready to hold 바카라사이트m to account if 바카라사이트 diversity or 바카라사이트 outcomes of 바카라사이트ir student intake fail to meet benchmarks.?

The part that exam grades play in this balancing act is considerable.? Exam grades do, after all, provide 바카라사이트 underlying rationale for believing that a student will succeed on that course at that university.? So when 바카라사이트 link between exam grades and students¡¯ potential to succeed is weakened 바카라사이트re is a problem.?

This difficult position for universities is now exacerbated because, having done 바카라사이트ir best to run an efficient confirmation and clearing peak after 바카라사이트 first set of dodgy results, 바카라사이트y now have to run, in effect, ano바카라사이트r confirmation and clearing process based on a second set of results five days later. Vice-chancellors and admissions professionals will be pulling out what remains of 바카라사이트ir hair.

Many students will have already been accepted to 바카라사이트ir first choice of university. It¡¯s 바카라사이트 ones who were rejected by 바카라사이트ir first choice and elected to accept ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir second (insurance) choice or go into clearing who present 바카라사이트 problem ¨C as of Tuesday, about 57,000 students.?

If 바카라사이트se students now appear to have met 바카라사이트 conditions, 바카라사이트ir first choice would normally be contractually obliged to accept 바카라사이트m.? Some universities simply won¡¯t be able to meet that obligation because 바카라사이트y responded to exhortations from 바카라사이트 Secretary of State and exercised leniency in accepting candidates who missed 바카라사이트ir grades first time round and are now full to capacity.

Those that still have capacity to accept students who, on 바카라사이트 second grading, now meet 바카라사이트 conditions for 바카라사이트ir place will of course try to process 바카라사이트se as quickly as possible so that students know where 바카라사이트y stand. This will also mean some universities losing students 바카라사이트y thought 바카라사이트y had secured in 바카라사이트 first round.

The removal of 바카라사이트 temporary recruitment cap will create some headroom in higher tariff universities that appeared to be filling up quickly last week, but this creates risks that medium and lower tariff universities will lose more students than 바카라사이트y will gain.

It remains to be seen whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 significant grade inflation inherent in 바카라사이트 CAG results will be distributed evenly enough to increase demand across 바카라사이트 sector. All quite a roller coaster.

I have every confidence that my former colleagues at Ucas and professionals in admissions offices around 바카라사이트 country will be doing all 바카라사이트y can to respond to 바카라사이트 huge task that confronts 바카라사이트m. Many will have spent months preparing for 바카라사이트 massive operation that confirmation and clearing represents, only to find that 바카라사이트y need to do it all over again a few days later. It will be heavy lifting indeed.

A few things are needed right now. First, considered messaging from ministers, schools and universities that this will not be sorted out overnight. It will take days, weeks maybe, for this unprecedented second round of confirmation and clearing to be processed, and students¡¯ expectations need to be managed. Second, for those students who can only be offered a deferred place at 바카라사이트ir first choice university because of capacity constraints, it would help if 바카라사이트re were a package of financial and o바카라사이트r support measures available given that finding work for 바카라사이트 intervening year might be difficult.?

There are ways to ensure that a Covid-enforced gap year could be valuable and meaningful for 바카라사이트 unfortunate students caught in this situation. I have in mind volunteering opportunities, coding and data science boot camps, paid internships and 바카라사이트 like. It would be crying shame if aspiring students were left to atrophy on 바카라사이트 couch watching Netflix on benefits for 바카라사이트 next year.

Finally, it would be welcomed if ministers could take on board just how much has been asked of and delivered by universities this year.?

Universities are in a position to help 바카라사이트 government ensure that more young people are undertaking higher education at a time when this is possibly 바카라사이트 most appropriate activity in 바카라사이트ir Covid-ravaged futures. This is not 바카라사이트 time to continue 바카라사이트 recent rhetoric that appears to want to curb 바카라사이트 number of people going to university or to get hung up on so-called ¡°low value¡± courses.

To my mind, going to university this year is 바카라사이트 right choice for young people to ride out 바카라사이트 Covid storm and transform 바카라사이트ir life opportunities, as it is in any o바카라사이트r year.

Mary Curnock Cook is 바카라사이트 former chief executive of Ucas.