After 30% students quit universities, UK to revert to strict ‘pre-pandemic’ grading system

The British government is reverting to its old style of accessing high schoolers after it was revealed that close to 30 per cent of students quit their degree course upon receiving A-level grades during the pandemic.

Gillian Keegan, the education secretary informed about the decision saying it will be the first time since 2019 that students will receive "normal" grades.

“During the pandemic, results were higher because of the way grades were assessed -now grades will be lower than last yearand more similar to 2019. Pupils and parents might wonder why," wroteKeegan inThe Sunday Times.

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“It is vital that qualifications hold value so that universities and employers understand the distinction between grades when recruiting, and pupils get the opportunities they deserve," she added.

As a result of the change, almost 75,000 fewer A* and A grades are expected to be awarded this year, compared to last academic year. Consequently, one in five students is likely to miss their first choice ofuniversity. Top grades are essential to securing a seat in some of the most prestigious universities.

Lenient grades reason for dropouts: Government

The government is of the view that teenagers who were awarded generous grades during the pandemic and ended up in elite institutes, struggled to cope with the demands of the syllabus, forcingthem to drop out.

The University of Bedfordshire had the highest dropout rate, touching 32 per cent whileLondon Metropolitan University saw 22.2 per cent of students terminating their academic journey.

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The generosity of teachers in imparting high grades can be gauged by the fact that in one of the private schools,the proportion of A* results rose from 33.8 per cent in 2019 to 90.2 per cent in 2021.

“Data shows that close to 30 per cent of young people are dropping out of [some] university courses in the two years of the pandemic grading. It is not in young people’s interests to have grading arrangements that do not appropriately support their progression," one of the government sources told the publication.

Data shows that more than 32,600 students had also withdrawn their loans in the last academic year alone, up from 22,652 at the start of the pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies)

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