Subjective success

My 11 August note focused on methods for assigning marks and grades according to criteria or norm referencing, suggesting that a non-subjective learning objectives approach was pretty effective.

The Scotsman article (12 August) about the The Scottish Qualifications Authority’s awarding Standard C-grade passes for 33 per cent scores certainly must raise questions about the range and depth of understanding of what the pupils had to learn, even while accepting that candidates generally “achieve their potential at all levels”.

John Cameron and Hugh MacKenzie (Letters, same day) rightly comment on the apparent shortfalls in what some of our state-school pupils achieve passes in, and on the unfavourable comparisons with results from other countries’ examining bodies.

Parental involvement, catchment area differences and fee-paying school selectivity and resourcing all contribute to pupils’ differential successes in demonstrating their true abilities.

Highlighting Cambridge’s own entrance exams showing up A-level deficiencies perhaps just indicates that coaching and practice in what to expect are not available for many – but as for Highers increasing higher-level awards year-on-year does mean more prospective students become eligible for entry to university, so how do institutions keep to their course quotas? It has to be feared that the Curriculum for Excellence will not help in this respect if so much is based on school-assessed coursework, which has to be, to some degree, subjective.

Perhaps, however, the CfE will help improve school leavers’ numeracy and literacy, still identified by employers as poor, and also thus help with John Cameron’s poorly equipped freshers. We still need to recognise non-degree vocational courses as equally valid – part of the German success story.

(Dr) Joe Darby

Dingwall

Ross-shire