A-level reforms ‘could lead to system collapse’

Under a major overhaul, AS-levels will be separated from A-levels to become a separate qualification.

Teenagers taking A-levels will no longer sit exams after one year, and will instead be tested at the end of their two-year course.

The new A-levels will be taught from September 2015, which is the same time as GCSEs are set to be replaced with new English Baccalaureate Certificates (EBCs).

The proposal has, however, been criticised by both teaching unions and one of the country’s most prestigious universities

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: “2015 looks set to be the year when everything changes in schools and for young people with both GCSEs and A-levels being replaced or altered. This is an unmanageable level of change which could lead to a collapse of the system.”

A Cambridge University spokesman said it “opposes the deletion of AS examinations at the end of Year 12”.

He added: “This change is unnecessary and, if implemented, will jeopardise over a decade’s progress towards fairer access to the university.”

Under the current system, sixth-formers often sit four or five AS-levels, taking exams after one year, before deciding which to drop and which to continue to A-level.

AS-levels, and the two-stage system, were introduced by the last Labour government under the Curriculum 2000 reforms.

Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg said Mr Gove was “turning the clock back” and his plan would narrow options.

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) also sounded a note of warning, describing the plans as “a classic case of fixing something that isn’t broken”.

He said: “The argument that A-levels are not preparing students adequately for university is contradicted by the fact that one in six achieve first class honours – a threefold increase over the last 13 years.

“The issue of resits has already been addressed. If there is a need to add more rigorous material for the highest achievers this is perfectly manageable without wholesale change to the examination. School and college leaders will fully support change where it is genuinely needed.”

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers & Lecturers (ATL), claimed only a “very elite group of students” would benefit from having their future determined by one set of exams. “De-coupling AS-levels from A-levels will reduce opportunities for many young people, will end the current progress check AS-levels provide and mean that young people are likely to study fewer subjects at sixth-form.

Mr Gove told the Education Select Committee: “I was worried there was too much assessment and too little learning. It seemed to me that one of the most effective ways we could encourage the sort of deep thinking that we want to have in people, not just who are going on to university but who are going to be entering an increasingly testing and sophisticated world of work, was to move towards a linear A-level.

“But there are certain gains, of course, in the flexibility which the AS-level has given so we didn’t want to completely abolish that. We thought the best way forward was a stand alone qualification.”

The plans were unveiled on the eve of publication of the latest secondary school league tables, showing how pupils fared at both A-levels and GCSE. Tables will be available on the Yorkshire Post website from 9.30am today and a full report will appear in tomorrow’s paper.