Yesterday I published a chart based on data nobody disputes showing that the percent of kids getting top A level grades had rocketed in the two years in which grades were based on teacher assessment, rather than sitting exams. I reproduce the chart again as it is striking. There are two possible interpretations:
One is that pupils have got much cleverer and despite far too many bedwetting teachers refusing to do more than basic online teaching, the hard work of everyone has resulted in much improved grades. This is just so implausible that nobody bar the bedwetting teachers and some of the kids with the A*s in data analysis, actually bother to suggest it.
The other explanation is that the grossly overpaid lazy bastards of the teaching profession are simply showing a manifest dishonesty in how they assess their pupils in order to make the pupils feel happier and to make themselves look good. I think we all know that this is what has happened though few seem prepared to call out the teachers for such manifest and widespread shameful dishonesty.
No, they are key workers give the teachers another fecking pay rise and let’s all applaud them and bang pots and pans in appreciation on Thursday night.
The wretched Government should be calling the teachers out. If only we had a Tory Government! Instead it accepts there may be an issue with the devaluing of top grades but it refuses to use the word grade inflation, something that has been underway for years but the media and political establishment has colluded with the teachers to pretend otherwise. It also refuses to state the obvious cause. So its solution replace letters ( A*, A, B etc) to with numbers ( 1,2, 3 etc).
Hells teeth! Just how stupid can this Government be. You might as well replace letters with fruit ( Apples, bananas, cherries) or with the colours of the LGBTQ rainbow. If you base your grades on assessment by dishonest teachers then far too many folks will instead of getting A*, A & B get 1, 2 & 3 or apple, banana and cherry. If you go back to exams then fewer folks will get the top grades, assuming that the papers are not dumbed down in order to offset lost learning due to covid. Which, of course, they will be.
The Ministry of Truth continues to have a field day with A levels here in Airstrip One. The stench of dishonesty from all concerned is now overwhelming.