In the news today. This is the pathway to becoming an Engineer for many and considered "equivalent" to having completed a skilled apprenticeship by the educational establishment.
First in response to Lisa, I was also told about the percentage ratio at play at the time of my O-grades (O-grades rather than O-levels as it was in Scotland) and I am pretty sure that was long before your exams. The only evidence I have heard of for the exam standards declining was about 20 odd years ago there was a question in a Scottish Higher-grade exam (roughly equivalent to mid-way between the current AS levels and A levels if I understand correctly) which was the exact same question that had been in an O-grade exam some years previously. When challenged the percentage ratio was used as the excuse.
I am not worried about whether the truth is there is grade inflation or the teaching is better or what. What concerns me more is that we should be told what is really happening as if we know what the situation is we can make sensible decision based on proper data.
First in response to Lisa, I was also told about the percentage ratio at play at the time of my O-grades (O-grades rather than O-levels as it was in Scotland) and I am pretty sure that was long before your exams. The only evidence I have heard of for the exam standards declining was about 20 odd years ago there was a question in a Scottish Higher-grade exam (roughly equivalent to mid-way between the current AS levels and A levels if I understand correctly) which was the exact same question that had been in an O-grade exam some years previously. When challenged the percentage ratio was used as the excuse.
I am not worried about whether the truth is there is grade inflation or the teaching is better or what. What concerns me more is that we should be told what is really happening as if we know what the situation is we can make sensible decision based on proper data.
