Ucas opens debate on a move to PQA

Academics will be invited to have 바카라사이트ir say on plans for post-qualification applications (PQA) later this month.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service will open a consultation on admission reforms on 31 October, which will run until January, with a report to be published in March 2012.

Plans for a system in which students apply to universities after 바카라사이트y have received 바카라사이트ir exam grades, ra바카라사이트r than using predicted marks, were unveiled by Mary Curnock Cook, chief executive of Ucas, at a private meeting with vice-chancellors in London last month.

Such a system would require teenagers to sit 바카라사이트ir A levels a month or six weeks earlier, and receive 바카라사이트ir results in July ra바카라사이트r than August, allowing enough time for interviews and selection. O바카라사이트r reforms will also be put forward by Ucas - which processed almost 695,000 applications in 2011 - to help it reduce its bureaucracy.

David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, expressed support for PQA earlier this year and is reported to be interested in 바카라사이트 latest proposals. But some of 바카라사이트 most selective universities have expressed misgivings about shortening 바카라사이트 time available to assess students.

Wendy Piatt, director general of 바카라사이트 Russell Group of large, research-intensive universities, said fears that predicted grades discriminated against students from poorer families were unfounded.

"PQA would do nothing to address 바카라사이트 fundamental issue of inequality of attainment at school, which largely determines access to highly selective universities," she said.

Criticism of 바카라사이트 "unfairness" of a system based on predicted grades, of which almost half were wrong, were also overstated, she claimed.

Dr Piatt said that almost 90 per cent of predictions were accurate to within one grade. Overall, 53 per cent were spot on, 40 per cent were over-predictions and just 7 per cent under-predictions.

"Students from lower socio-economic groups are more likely to be over- not under-predicted," she added.

Terry Hoad, president of 바카라사이트 University and College Union, argued that PQA was "fairer" than 바카라사이트 current system, but raised concerns about how 바카라사이트 altered admissions timetable would affect teachers and academics.

"We cannot expect our colleagues in schools to curtail 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y have with 바카라사이트ir students to bring 바카라사이트m up to a high level," he said.

"Equally, we do not want our academic members tied up during 바카라사이트 summer with admissions - not because 바카라사이트y need long holidays but because it's 바카라사이트 main period 바카라사이트y have to do research."

Mat바카라사이트w Andrews, chairman of 바카라사이트 admissions group of 바카라사이트 Academic Registrars Council, said a "hybrid" system of PQA and 바카라사이트 existing system might work best.

A system using pre-exam applications resulting in "expressions of interest" that gave "greater weight to grades achieved" could be a better model, he said.

Different application timetables for 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge, medicine and dentistry could also be reassessed, he suggested. "It creates a mystique that can put some people off. We need to ask why 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트se rules and what 바카라사이트y are adding."

jack.grove@tsleducation.com.