It would be so much better for transparency to drop the idea of grades completely for GCSE and A level and just give raw scores i.e. this year I have an IGCSE student with 138/180 and an A* and another with 137, an A. I have another on 165/180 (A*)- no differential with the student who jsut scraped it! Even worse for the student with 71/180 and a D when another guy in the same class has 72 and a C- 1 mark but the grades are seen very differently. Why do we insist in converting good raw data into made up grades with made up grade boundaries!

C

Just a thought - is there a possibility that this year's students were below par?

Are we seriously expected to believe that GCSEs could continue rising forever? Surely there had to be a year when there was a sligth drop (0.4%!)- do we honestly believe students will forever improve?

Well that is one way to properly educate children about the world... anything you work for can and will be sacrificed on the alter of political posturing. This time it is your GCSE's, soon your jobs (or chances of a job) and families...

stupid comment!

Appalling choice of subject matter regardless of sitters answer. By all means encourage pupils to think about politics and consequences but surely these exams are first and foremost to show proper use of the English language and to demonstrate the pupils ability to compose appropriate
initiatives and responses in their working life. Are we really preparing them for this or are we just expecting them to be active members of their local debating society because I can't help feeling they will have plenty of time to be just that. In the middle of an important English exam can never be the right time for considering issues such as these, no wonder so many of the present generation make snap decisions in so many areas without ever considering finding out any background information or facts about the subject and to encourage personal criticism is just plain ridiculous, imagine that particular 'skill' transferred to the workplace.

Why not, they've been marking them up for political purposes for years!

Pure troublemaking.

That made me 'titter'