Grade inflation has led to more students dropping out as they were given a ‘false impression of knowledge’ (Picture: EPA)
The number of students dropping out of university has risen as teacher assessed pandemic grades inflated the rate of top grades, it has been warned.
Dr Ben Calvert, vice-chancellor of the University of South Wales, told The Telegraph the number of students returning to the 2022-2023 academic year dropped by 6.1%.
He suggested students are quitting because they are failing exams – and in some cases are not even handing in their work.
University staff were alerted of the issue in an email which reportedly read: ‘We know that the suspension of A-level examinations and the so-called grade inflation from A-levels and other qualifications has had an impact.
‘We also know that the trend of submitting only some assessments is mirrored in our local colleges.’
In 2021, 45% of all A-level grades were A or A*, compared with 39% in 2020 and 25% in 2019.
However, in 2022, the number of top grades took the biggest drop ever registered in the 70-year history of the qualification.
Baranby Lenon, the former head of Harrow and chairman of the Independent Schools Council, said the inflated grades gave students and universities a ‘false impression of knowledge’.
Nearly half of all grades awarded in 2021 were A or A* (Picture: PA)
He said: ‘It is important to see inflation come down because inflated grades give a false impression of a pupil’s knowledge and understanding. This can lead them to take courses for which they are inadequately equipped.’
Conservative MP Robert Halfon and chairman of the Commons education committee raised his concerns about the pandemic exam system at BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme in 2021.
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He said: ‘I do worry about the fact we seem to have, in essence, base a hard rock cake of grade inflation into our exam results and what we have to do to make sure is that our exams provide a level playing field.
‘I would have preferred a system which had some kind of standardised assessment.’
Dr Ben Calvert, vice-chancellor of the University of South Wales, said the number of students returning had dropped by 6.1% (Picture: Google)
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The number of students returning to the 2022-2023 academic year dropped by 6.1%.
