When I took my GCE “A” levels a little over 50 years ago, I achieved two B’s and a C. At the time, these were considered good marks. Only the top 1% of candidates received an A, and three or more A’s were exceedingly rare. Most universities required C’s and D’s for entrance, with only a handful demanding B’s.
Fast forward to today, 10th August 2021, and it was announced that around 45% of students achieved an A or A* grade.
We must have been really dim back then! But according to our professor, we were in the top 5% of the population.
This got me thinking about where we might be in 2045 if grade inflation continues unchecked. Here’s a little story imagining that future:
My daughter’s exam results arrived today. She got three AAA++**s and one AAA++. She’s mortified. She can understand what happened in her pop music studies (the one where she “only” got an AAA++)—she didn’t realize there were more questions on the other side of the paper, so she answered just two out of five. But she was expecting to be in the alphas for her other subjects.
To secure a place at her desired university, she needed at least three AAA/alpha+*s and one AAA++**. Now, if she’s set on going to university, she’ll either have to resit all her exams or apply to a grade 2 or grade 3 institution. A degree from one of these will only qualify her for minimum-wage jobs, like shop assistant or nurse.
Alternatively, she might skip university altogether. She’s presentable and has a good voice, so she’s considering trying her luck in the music industry. Or, inspired by England’s Olympic netball win last year, she might aim to become a professional netball player. The only problem is, that victory has inspired countless other girls, all vying for a spot on a professional team.
Either way, it looks like I’ll be supporting her well into her mid-thirties. Things have certainly changed. Like most of my generation, I managed to move out of my parents’ house by the time I was twenty-nine.
I have also expressed some of my views on education here
