Doubts about exam standards are 'misplaced'

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ePolitix.com speaks to Dr. Mike Cresswell, director general of the AQA, about the importance of recognising academic achievement.

Why are the AQA annual awards so important?

The awards are really important, because they are about putting the other point of view across about young people, and celebrating their success.

The awards are also about making the point that A-level and GCSE standards are rigorous and that doing really well in those exams is a real achievement. That is why our industrial partners sponsor the programme.

What message do the AQA annual awards send to those who doubt the quality of A-levels and GCSEs?

I hope that the awards send the message that their doubts are misplaced. I do feel that it is unfortunate that those doubts are resistant to any amount of evidence or argument from the other side.

What would the AQA say to those who argue that young people have too many examinations in such a short period of their lives?

That is a very interesting argument. There is no doubt that we examine and test young people in our schools as much, and probably more, than any other country in the world.

You can genuinely ask if any young person should do more than eight GCSEs, and some children find themselves taking 12. Unless these young people are doing so many examinations because they genuinely like it, you do have to worry about the genuine educational value of that. If they did slightly fewer subjects and something that was a bit broader, and less academic, with the time that they would then have, maybe that would be a more educationally beneficial use of their time.

There is a different aspect with A-levels, as opposed to GCSEs. You don't have to do modules in A-levels every six months, but the overwhelming majority do. It would be odd not to provide the opportunity for those who want to be assessed regularly to do so. However, it is unfortunate that everybody seems to think that because there is an opportunity, it must be taken.

What message would the AQA seek to convey to a future government about the importance of examinations and qualifications?

It is very important that there is a single national qualification system that is maintained and kept fit for purpose and which meets the needs of all our young people.

We have to put an end to the arguments about dumbing down standards, and it is very important that Parliament, which Ofqual reports regularly to, demands real, specific reports from Ofqual containing evidence which can put an end to the annual standards debate.

The AQA annual awards were held on Monday 14th December in Westminster.

Please view this related article for more information about the AQA annual awards.