UCAS not fit for purpose on results day
You would think that since results day happens every year, UCAS would be prepared. Not this year. I understand that there were many more applicants because of the rise in tuition fees in 2012 but we all knew that well in advance.
It took 4 hours yesterday to find out whether my daughter had a place to study architecture at university or not. Not quite getting the grades for her first choice although her results were good, A* in Art, A in Maths but a D in Physics, she had been offered 2 A’s and a B at her first choice. At 8am the UCAS website was already failing and we were unable to access any information.
We rang the first choice university and managed to get through by 9am, no place for her there. We then spent the next four anxious hours when 3 of us continually rang the second choice university (3 B’s required) and tried to access UCAS. Just after 12pm we managed to get through via a circuitous route to the admissions department at the second choice and finally heard that she had a place. We were finally able to access UCAS at about 12.30pm.
However, if this had not been the case we were already 4 hours too late to start finding a place through clearing. I rushed out to get the Telegraph Clearing Vacancy Listing at 9.30am and daughter marked all the ones that she might look at but we were unable to ring any departments because we still did not know whether she had a place already. No doubt, we were already too late for a clearing place and I am sure many other families were in the same position.
There has to be a better system. Perhaps Clearing could start the next day if UCAS are unable to provide information in a timely fashion. I am sure there will be far fewer applicants next year but I do hope that UCAS provides a better service next year.
Are A level exams getting easier?
This is my fourth child and they have taken a wide variety of academic subjects from science to the arts. I don’t believe that the exams have got any easier. I have looked at the papers and am amazed how difficult they are. I do think that teaching and learning has got more interesting. There are many different ways of providing information now, not just handing out sheets or paper or text books which is the way that I was taught. I also think most young people doing A Levels are very motivated and work hard and a lot of the ‘studies’ courses are very interesting and keep less academic students in colleges. There is an issue with the marking of papers though and we have often had papers re-marked with a change in grades – there seems to be no uniformity between the exam boards and it would be fairer to have the one exam board and careful moderation.
Not everyone needs to go to university though. There are plenty of other options and I expect that many businesses will start recruiting some of our brightest young people next year when the huge hike in tuition fees puts people off going to university. Education should be a lifelong ambition but it doesn’t necessarily have to be when you are 18. Working your way up through a company is just as rewarding and educational than spending 3 years at university learning a subject which may be of no use to a future career. Accountancy firms are one of a number of businesses that are starting to recruit from school and companies are often encouraging employees to take up part-time courses either degrees or professional qualifications.
Gap years
My youngest is the only one of my 4 children who is not taking a gap year because of the tuition fees rise. Gap years should be paid for by the student not parents and we have found that our children have grown up hugely during their gap years when they have worked extremely hard for 6 months to earn money to go travelling and do charity work. They have come back with a big appreciation of going to university and the ability to survive difficult scenarios. They have also managed to use their employment during their gap year to continue through university holidays which has helped fund their studies. My youngest daughter had great plans for her gap year but sadly she has to miss out.
The rise in tuition fees should have been gradual and it will be interesting to find out the effect on universities and how they handle the more demanding consumer and whether the numbers of applicants stays the same.
A big Congratulations to all A Level students whatever your grades, you have completed two years of demanding study and should be very proud of your achievements.