'A' Level Agonies

The youngest in the maytrees household needed to attain two 'A'levels at grade
B and one at grade A to confirm her place at Exeter University in her chosen subject of mathematics.

When the
'A' level results were published nationally on Thursday this week, there was the
usual media commentary about dumbing down and grade inflation, which tends to
belittle the great efforts students have to make to achieve good grades in
those exams.

In the event maytrees min secured two passes at grade A and one pass
at grade C. Exeter took a nerve racking, for her, 48 hours to decide
that A+A+C = B+B+A before confirming thair offer to her.

Despite the media criticism and the trend towards more students
passing more 'A' level examinations and with better grades over the years,
'A' levels still consititute the gold standard not only for prospective
employers to considerjob applicants against but also for the students
themselves in measuring their own academic achievement by the end
of their childhood and schooldays.

Of course there are many other
yardsicks for measuring achievement and application against
as events in the Olympic Games in Beijing illustrate but academic
achievement and application are for many, important markers
in life.