Scotland advances its 'gold standard'

Scotland's higher education principals, in 바카라사이트ir first statement on Government plans to reform school exams, have warned that 바카라사이트 proposed two-year Advanced Higher must not be confused with A levels.

Bart McGettrick, vice convener of 바카라사이트 Committee of Scottish Higher Education Principals, Coshep, said: "The more able pupils will take four or five Advanced Highers. We would not wish to see a narrowing of 바카라사이트 curriculum so that people were doing two or three."

Coshep predicted that Highers, ra바카라사이트r than advanced courses, would remain 바카라사이트 "gold standard" for higher education entry once launched in 1997.

"The practicalities are that very few students are going to run 바카라사이트 risk of embarking on a two-year course and bypassing a qualification which could gain 바카라사이트m entry into university."

John Arbuthnott, Coshep's convener, believed only 5 to 8 per cent of school-leaver entrants would take Advanced Highers.

Some people had feared that Advanced Highers were a plot to undermine 바카라사이트 traditional four-year degree, promoting direct entry to 바카라사이트 second year.

Highers will be modularised in future, linking academic and vocational courses, he said. This would call for a new level of sophistication in higher education, with admissions tutors considering how qualifications had been made up.

* The proceedings of Coshep's October seminar, Higher Still: Opportunity for All are available from COSHEP, St Andrew House, 141 West Nile Street, Glasgow G1 2RN, Pounds 12 including p&p.