Member News
15th December 2009An event to celebrate excellence in A-levels and GCSEs was hosted in Westminster on Monday.
The AQA Annual Awards, held in Westminster, highlighted the achievements of 13 young people from across the country who had excelled in various academic disciplines.
The five GCSE and eight A-level winners received awards for attainment in fields such as science, humanities, maths and English.
Two of the winners – Ross Thomas, a GCSE student from Southampton, and Oliver Munro, an A-level student from Essex – were also awarded Student of the Year prizes for their qualifications.
Speaking after the prize giving, Lord Sutherland of Houndwood, former chief inspector of schools, warned students and teachers "not to get involved" in the argument that examinations are 'dumbing down'.
"It's simplistic, it's simplified, and dare I say it's even stupid as an argument," the crossbench peer said.
Lord Sutherland went on to say how he had regularly challenged his colleagues in the House of Lords on the issue of qualification standards.
"I once said that I would stand at the exit point of the chamber and ask every peer what A-levels and GCSEs, or equivalent, they had taken 30, 40 or 50 years ago and I would then ask them to sit the modern version next week," Lord Sutherland added.
Mike Cresswell, director general of the AQA, described the awards as "really important", stating that they make "the point that A-level and GCSE standards are rigorous and that doing really well in those exams is a real achievement".
He added that he was eager to see an end to the annual debate over exam standards, emphasising the role of qualifications regulator Ofqual in achieving this goal.
"We have to put an end to the arguments about dumbing down standards," he argued.
"It is very important that Parliament, which Ofqual reports regularly to, demands from Ofqual real, specific reports containing evidence which can put an end to the annual standards debate," Cresswell said.
Please view the full text of Dr. Mike Cresswell's speech.
Please view an interview with Dr. Mike Cresswell, held at the AQA awards.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd
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