WELL DONE TO EVERYONE WHO HAS PASSED their A levels! For me, it was a delight to see happiness and joy replacing worry and anxiety on faces of young people as the results were revealed.

I, for one, refuse to join in with the grumpy brigade's dark mutterings about dumbing down - hell bent as they are in belittling the achievements of young people, teachers, schools and colleges.

For once, can't we just praise everyone who did so well and celebrate success?

Seems not.

Lo and behold, in the blue corner we have all the huffing and puffing about lower standards, pouring scorn on the pass rates and so-called 'easy' subjects.

What is an 'easy' subject, anyway? Step into the spotlight, please, media studies, tourism, sports management and their ilk. Back in my days doing exams, it was art and sociology that got the blame. Whatever the subject, the fact remains certain subjects are easy only for those who find them easy! Some people find maths easy, others don't.

And how do these detractors know a subject is easy, anyway? When did they last do an A level?

The Tories have been touting about the media that they want to rate schools and assess GCSE and A level success differently by giving more weight to 'difficult'; subjects such as, for example, mathematics and Latin. First, the subjects that they're highlighting are more likely to be studied in private and selective schools. Second, the subjects that the Tories tend to dismiss as being easy are those more prevalent in comprehensives. Given that many schools now specialise, how will these daft ideas impact on, say, the Lindsey School and Community Arts College?    

Some in the dumbing down brigade want to revert to the system that was in place when I took my exams. What happened when I did my A levels was that, regardless of the skills and talents of those taking the exams, the top 10 per cent of entrants got grade A. At the other end of the scale, a certain percentage had to fail each year. They were doomed to fail even before they picked up a pen. It was a brutal and unfair. And I speak as someone who did get grade As.

I also wonder how many of those criticising the success of our young people (and not so young, of course, with the number of mature students taking A levels) have ever looked at today's courses and exam papers. I have and, as far as I'm concerned, they appear to be tougher than when I was at school. In my day, it was all about recalling facts. Now the exams are more analytical and interpretative.

The science projects I have seen in our primary schools is of a standard I didn't reach until I was at secondary school.  

A couple of years ago, as part of an education campaign, I took a GCSE exam in archaeology. While I have an interest in the subject, I've never studied it. But I got a C! Now you may think this is an example of dumbing down. Look at Shona, you may say, she passed without ever being taught about archaeology. Far from it. Julian Richards, the telly archaeologist, who has a degree in the subject, got a lower mark than me. Ha! The others sitting the exams included celebrated professors. Yes, they got higher marks than I did (so they should, too), but few got full marks. Hardly an example of dumbing down!

At least when I got my A level results, I didn't have to do it in front of TV crews and throngs of journalists! Is it my imagination, but do lads do A levels? Every photo and new clip on the A levels features lasses hugging and whooping for joy. Where are the boys?

And while we're on the subject of standards in education, we still hear the grumps declare that one in five children leave primary school without being able to read and write. I want to get hold of these people and tell them: Don't be so bloody stupid!

We should assess children's reading and writing abilities. The standards by which children are measured are high. Four out of five primary school children reach this high standard. It is wrong to say that those who don't can't read and write. 

Why don't we like success?

Let's praise and celebrate the hard work of young people, schools and teachers that has lead to such excellent results.

So, well done everyone and don't let the bastards get you down.

21 August 2009