National shock as 75% fail A-Levels
It’s the story we never hear in the media. 75% of 18-year-olds have just failed to get three passes (grade E or above) at A-Level. Popular opinion, mainly thanks to the media, has it (in a survery I can’t find again to link to) that over 80% of 18-year-olds reach this standard. Bollocks. The vast, vast majority of the young people in our country don’t even attempt A-Levels, let alone pass them.
Let’s talk, me and you, about one of the most respected, classical subjects at A-Level: History. Of the 375,000 18-year-olds in the country, the top 13% sat an A-Level in the subject. Frankly, these days, that’s an acheivement. Schools no longer enter people they don’t think will do well, because it damages their league table results and ultimately affects funding, which is why 87% of the population don’t get to take it. So it is fair to say that the 13% of youngsters sitting the History A-Level are the top historians of their age in the land. Well done.
10.9% of the 18-year-olds in this country passed that A-Level. We’ve weeded out 89.1% of the population – hundreds of thousands of people – without even looking at grades. But if we choose to look at that top ‘A’ grade, we find that just 2% of the population managed to achieve it. 98% didn’t.
In chemistry, only 9% of the population passed, with under 2% acheiving the top grade. For maths, the top 13% were entered, and the top 3% got A’s. And for the much lamented media studies, 7% were entered and just 1.5% got A’s.
People say that A-Levels are easy, worthless, and don’t discriminate anymore. Yet the vast majority don’t pass them, and our example shows that very few reach the top grades. How much more discriminating would you like them to be?
Your Comments and Responses
Comment from lala
which country are you talking about? oh ya,does anyone happens to know when nov 06 result will come out? i cant wait
» This comment was received at 13:39 on 28 November 06
Comment from the original poster,
sjhoward
This was about the UK, last year. The results for exams sat during November 2006 come out on 18th January 2007 – so there’s a bit more waiting to be done yet. Sorry!
» This comment was received at 14:00 on 28 November 06
Elsewhere on the site
This post has been referenced by another on this site:
sjhoward.co.uk » Reasons for teenage knife crime
[...] and yet come August, they all have 25 A-Levels as a result of dumbing down. In reality, only a minority of teenagers sit A-Levels (let alone pass them), and far fewer still are ‘bad kids’ (no matter how they might [...]
» This pingback was received at 20:21 on 09 April 07
Elsewhere on the site
This post has been referenced by another on this site:
sjhoward.co.uk » National shock as 75% fail A-Levels
[...] National shock as 75% fail A-LevelsGood luck to A-Level studentsReasons for teenage knife crimeShock revelation: People enjoy taking drugsA major manifesto lieSteve Irwin has diedMichael Portillo makes sense shock Recent Posts [...]
» This pingback was received at 09:02 on 20 August 07
Comment from failure!
woohoo im one of them! yay! i hoep everyone fails!! wohoo all hail to BTECs!!!
» This comment was received at 13:42 on 05 September 07
Comment from the original poster,
sjhoward
Well, as long as things work out in the end…
» This comment was received at 20:46 on 06 September 07
Comment from Some twat
Hello there everyone, you all smell, teenagers can be cool pool muleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee yah yah ooh la la stickleback camel
» This comment was received at 10:41 on 28 February 08
Comment from Cati
Wooooo!!!!! Yep A-levels are hard, but what are they supposed to be!!
It’s all about finding the key to motivation, in working hard to deal with strain of A-levels, you just dont get taught that!
Plus there are so many crap teachers out there, especially one i dare to name ALISON!!!!!
» This comment was received at 22:57 on 08 April 08
Comment from Anonymous
I the article it says”In chemistry, only 9% of the population passed, with under 2% acheiving the top grade.”
That means just under a quarter of people taking chemistry got an A! You are only distorting the figures to make it seem like 2% of chemistry students got an A! Who’s talking bollocks now?
» This comment was received at 17:51 on 02 May 08
Comment from the original poster,
sjhoward
It means that under a quarter of people who passed chemistry got an A – not a quarter of those taking it. I’m sure a fair proportion took it and failed.
And of course I’m using the figures to make a point – I don’t think that makes the point bollocks. Indeed, if I didn’t use the figures to support the point, you’d claim I was spouting unsubstantiated nonsense.
The figures certainly aren’t distorted.
» This comment was received at 18:34 on 02 May 08
