Minister's A-level overhaul aims to revive 'art of deep thought'

Paul Jeeves

PLANS for a radical overhaul of A-levels have been welcomed by business leaders as Education Secretary Michael Gove pledged to ensure students are properly prepared for university and future careers.

Mr Gove has sounded the death knell for A-levels in their existing form to make the examinations more academically rigorous and said he hopes to revive "the art of deep thought" and counter growing criticism of the nation's education system.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have both expressed concerns the current system is leaving students ill-prepared for both university studies and the workplace.

The FSB's chief spokesman, Stephen Alambritis, said employers had been stunned to discover high-flying students who had achieved straight A grades at A-level or Firsts in their degrees had been unable to spell properly.

He said: "There is a real concern among the business world, and especially among smaller businesses, that students are not being prepared properly for future careers. It is not only about academic qualifications, they are not being taught key skills such as punctuality, keenness, enthusiasm and social skills.

"There has been too much chopping and changing with the system in recent years, which has not only confused students but employers as well. There needs to be a more back to basics approach which will benefit everyone involved."

Mr Gove has revealed he wants a renewed emphasis on examinations taken at the end of the second year of sixth form which would turn the clock back to a system which was evident before the previous Government overhauled it.

Former Education Secretary David Blunkett, who is the MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, introduced AS-levels in 2000 amid concerns that the previous A-level syllabus was too narrow.

Mr Gove has indicated, however, he now wants to scrap the intermediate AS-levels which are taken in the first year of sixth form.

The move follows complaints by universities that the current A-level system introduced in 2000 – in which courses are broken up into four to six units over two years – fails to prepare pupils for in-depth study.

Mr Gove said: "We will see fewer modules and more exams at the end of two years of sixth form and, as a result, a revival of the art of deep thought.

"We need to ensure that the knowledge expected of A-level students is such that they can hit the ground running (at university) and they don't need, as some have suggested, four-year courses or catch-up tuition."

Universities have complained that A-levels are not creating an adequate calibre of students and produce a glut of top grades – almost 27 per cent of papers last year received an A and one in eight pupils gained straight A grades.

The independent think-tank Reform published a report last year which claimed universities should be put in charge of A-level exams because the current system is producing students who struggle to think for themselves.

A Department for Education spokesman confirmed that an overhaul of the A-level system is being planned.