This article is by guest contributor Derek Blunt.

Yet again the newspapers are alive with the sound of chest-beating and hair shirt rending: what on earth are we to do about ‘A’ Level students’ education being disrupted by a pandemic?

Fortunately, we live in more enlightened times than those in which I studied at ‘A’ Level and university. Back then, having to work at the same time as studying because of rampant inflation was considered good for the soul. As for revising by candlelight thanks to the exigencies of the three day week (no electricity), the attitude was like it or lump it.

Now that we must do all we can to save our students from having to ever face up to the cruel vicissitudes of life, or at least to put off the evil day for as long as possible, several suggestions have been made.

One popular one is to tell students in advance what’s going to be on the exam paper. Another idea is to put asterisks next to students’ grades. This is not to indicate that someone received, say a grade of 9*********, but to inform their prospective universities that he or she needed a dollop of extra help in order to achieve anything at all.

Yet another move, by at least one university (Birmingham, in case you’re making a list) is to lower the university entrance requirements.

All of this is all very well, but is just tinkering. What should happen, because it would save a lot of time, money and angst, and be just as valid, is that students should all be given the top ‘A’ Level grade in each of their subjects without having to take the exam at all.

Remember: all must have prizes!

Derek Blunt. Blunt by name, blunt by nature.

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