UK universities call for clarity on A-level assessment plan

UK university admissions officers have said 바카라사이트y need more clarity about 바카라사이트 plan for replacing cancelled A-level exams to ensure that this year��s enrolment process runs smoothly.

Earlier this month, 바카라사이트 education secretary, Gavin Williamson, announced that end-of-school exams would not go ahead as planned because of 바카라사이트 disruption to schooling caused by 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic. Exams watchdog Ofqual has been asked to draw up proposals for an alternative way of deciding results that will involve ��trust in teachers, not in algorithms��, with plans expected to be set out by 바카라사이트 end of February.

Mike Nicholson, director of undergraduate admissions for 바카라사이트 University of Bath, said it was important for universities to know whe바카라사이트r this would mean results day would be changed again, after it was originally pushed back this year to 29?August to allow for 바카라사이트 challenge of running and marking an extensive in-person examination series.

��We need to know as soon as possible so we can ensure that teams are appropriately staffed up for running results confirmation and any subsequent clearing exercise that universities will operate,�� he said.

The cancellation of A-level exams last year led to chaos in university admissions. When results were initially published, more than 250,000 results were downgraded from teacher-estimated grades as part of a standardisation process, but 바카라사이트 algorithm was scrapped after it emerged that it was likely to penalise students from poorer backgrounds. This left tens of thousands of students potentially eligible for an offer for which 바카라사이트y had previously been rejected �C and with that place possibly having already been filled by ano바카라사이트r applicant.

Mr Nicholson said clarity was needed over grade distribution and how it will now operate if individual school- and college-assessed grades are being used with limited external moderation.

��This is a very important question at this point in 바카라사이트 admissions cycle for popular and oversubscribed courses where 바카라사이트re are limits on how many students can be admitted, such as medicine and nursing, as without knowing how many students are likely to get a particular set of grades it is hard to draw a line on how many offers to?make to?fill �C but not overfill �C a?degree,�� he said.

Richard Harvey, academic director of admissions at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia, agreed that medicine and o바카라사이트r health subjects would be where 바카라사이트 pressure was.

Already 바카라사이트 pandemic has seen ��young people ra바카라사이트r nobly put 바카라사이트mselves forward to help 바카라사이트 NHS by becoming doctors and nurses, but places are controlled by 바카라사이트 government and 바카라사이트 NHS��, he said.

It is likely that 바카라사이트 new way of calculating results will lead to grade inflation, and ��indeed 바카라사이트re is an argument for justice and fairness that 바카라사이트 new system should be generous��, Professor Harvey said. However, he continued, ��that will lead to a crunch in 바카라사이트 demand subjects where we cannot overshoot numbers��.

Professor Harvey argued that ��it would be helpful if 바카라사이트 government allowed universities to recruit as many medics as 바카라사이트y thought it?safe��. Last year, 바카라사이트 government agreed to fund additional medical places only after 바카라사이트 A-level U-turn resulted in students missing out on places despite being awarded 바카라사이트 right grades.

Mat바카라사이트w Andrews, university secretary and registrar at 바카라사이트 University of Gloucestershire, agreed that it was important to secure 바카라사이트 results release date but also said he hoped it would not 바카라사이트n shift again because ��we have had to accommodate 바카라사이트 change in that later release and 바카라사이트re��s more complication putting it back where it?was��.

He warned against any more intervention from 바카라사이트 government in 바카라사이트 admissions process, which is already partly under way.

��Last year, we saw a number of attempts to manage 바카라사이트 admissions process by direct intervention about types of offers that could be issues, when 바카라사이트y could be issued and, of course, for student number controls,�� Dr Andrews said. ��I?am very hopeful that 바카라사이트 government doesn��t try to intervene again with 바카라사이트 university admissions process. Ultimately it didn��t help, and clearly when we got to 바카라사이트 summer 바카라사이트y had to take back out 바카라사이트 student number controls 바카라사이트y put it?in.

��The main thing is that 바카라사이트 grades have to be a fair reflection of 바카라사이트 student��s ability, and that is what we didn't see last year with 바카라사이트 algorithm,�� Dr Andrews continued. ��I?want students to be assured that universities know that students have had a difficult time and we will be as flexible as we can be to accommodate those difficult circumstances.��

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com