Record A-levels ... limited university places

19 August 2010

It's another record-breaking year for A-level results – they have improved every year for the past 28 years – with 27 per cent of students getting A or above. In England, eight per cent got an A* while the figures were 6.6 per cent and 8.8 per cent respectively in Wales and Northern Ireland. In all, 97.6 per cent of pupils got E or above, almost identical to 2009.

At the same time the 660,000 students who have applied to university are battling for places which are in short supply. So far 379,411 applicants have been accepted into university or college, compared with 371,016 at the same time last year, and there are around 18,000 courses with places available via the clearing process. When the process was complete last year, 482,000 students got places.

Universities minister David Willetts congratulated students but was accused of insulting them when he said: "Of course, university is not the only route into well-paid and fulfilling work. That is why we are also investing so much in further education and 50,000 extra high-quality apprenticeships."

Mary Curnock Cook, chief executive of the university admissions service Ucas, said: "Thousands of applicants whose places have been confirmed today deserve congratulations for this achievement in perhaps the most competitive year for HE admissions in the last 10 years."

The National Union of Students blamed the government for the difficulties. President Aaron Porter said: "With youth unemployment pushing one million, savage education funding cuts and arbitrary limits on places, the government is at risk of imposing poverty of opportunity on a generation of young people facing a very uncertain future."

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) wasn't much more charitable. Head of education policy Nansi Ellis said it was "shameful" that for many highly capable students their hard slog would not be rewarded with a university place. "As well as being a waste of talent it is totally demotivating for students and teachers and a failure to invest in the future," Ellis said. "We have yet to see the full impact of the new A* grade on results and university admissions. But it cannot be anything other than detrimental if it leads to an even greater concentration on narrow testing at the expense of gaining skills and wider learning.

"The real problem with A levels is that too many students leave school or college with their heads stuffed with fast forgotten facts, instead of having developed the skills they need for higher education or work, and for successful lives. And many others are lost to education, bored and demotivated by endless testing. Instead of creating more and more elaborate grading systems the government needs to think hard and fast to provide education and work opportunities for the A level students who won't get a university place, and importantly not neglect those who leave school without formal qualifications."

However, Willetts was upbeat, saying: "It is a very exciting time for all those who receive their results today and I congratulate everyone on their hard work and hope they got the results they need to fulfil their aspirations. There are more university places than ever before and already 380,000 applicants have got confirmed places at university. For those who have sadly not done as well they hoped, there are places available in clearing."

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, said: "Due to the increased pressure on places this year, competition is likely to be quite intense for the remaining courses. But we would urge applicants not to panic and to seek advice from UCAS and universities. Although we know that clearing will be more competitive than ever this year ... if applicants can be flexible, there is still a chance to gain a university place."

Willetts' comments that students could lower their university ambitions has made a mockery of the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's social mobility pledge, according to the University and College Union (UCU). The union said that asking some students to temper their university ambitions could not hide the fact that around 200,000 students are set to miss out on a university place this year. If some students "aim lower" then all that would do is lower the chance of a different group of students securing a place. It would not reduce the number of people missing out overall, the union claimed.

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: "I am astounded that the government's insulting response to the university crisis is simply to advise some people to temper their ambition. After years of being inspired to aim higher the coalition government is actually telling students to aim lower. Education has the power to change people's lives and anybody who purports to be serious about increasing social mobility has to recognise that."

She added: "Too many bright teenagers will be left with no educational place this summer and to chance their arm in the most competitive job market for years. We risk consigning a whole generation to the scrapheap of inactivity."