ATL congratulates A-Level students, but fears for future of post-16 education
ATL
| Association of Teachers and Lecturers
Nansi Ellis, assistant general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said:
“We congratulate students and teachers on today’s well-deserved AS and A-level results.
“Although this year’s results are stable, this is unlikely to be the case when the A-level reforms kick in and all A-levels are only assessed by end of course exams.
“Cuts in Government funding for post-16 education could result in fewer A-level courses being available, particularly in more vocational subjects such as design and technology and ICT, and is likely to mean that only wealthier students will be able to do more than three A-levels or AS courses.
“It is a shame, and bad timing, that in the week students receive their much anticipated results, schools’ minister Nick Gibb, has said there is a case for fundamental reform of the system for developing and awarding GCSEs, AS and A-levels. The proposal to reform the exam boards, when there are already extensive qualification reforms underway, is a massively disproportionate response by the Government to delays marking last year’s exam papers.”
