This month, arguing years of United Kingdom official pilot of the A-Level reforms, to Cambridge University as a representative of "the Russell Group" school boom set off protests and countermeasures. A few days ago, the Sunday Times, the Telegraph and other United Kingdom major media news publication, said intends to fully restore the abolished nearly 30 years at the University of Cambridge entrance exams. Cambridge, although a spokesman said "a school is considering all options, has yet to make a final decision", but the news is still detonate local public opinion. Parties is concerned, restored entrance exams will impact on how different groups of applications? Given the United Kingdom many schools of the A-Level reform a lot of criticism, whether this will lead to follow the tide of Cambridge?
Selected out of college entrance examination "talent"?
To be replaced by the independent examinations of the University United Kingdom university entrance exam, as the most important admissions standards, Cambridge was innocent: "this entrance so water is to blame. "
First, simplify exam, enhance the overall level of education background, in recent years, known as the United Kingdom university entrance exam, known as a-levels (Advanced Level) test, the significant increase in the number of high layer. Survey data show that in 2002, the proportion of candidates who pass the above 94.3%, compared to 20.7% up to a-level students. By 2015, the two figures rose to 98.1% and 25.9%, respectively.
Earlier, the head of admissions at Cambridge University, Maike·xiueer was complaining that "xueba" flood means United Kingdom university entrance exam gold shrinking, it is difficult to make top-notch talent to stand out.
Secondly, in accordance with the United Kingdom the traditional examination system, a-level results by grade 12 (high school similar to the Chinese) AS grade 13 (similar to Chinese high school) A2 is composed of two parts. Opening quarter of this year, United Kingdom A-Level reform was launched and began to apply to most of the high school curriculum. An important element of the reform is to enable decoupled AS and A2 exams, weakening the former meaning. Therefore, A2 will be the candidate of "wards" in future admission into "one-shot" type indicators.
Many teachers worry, "get set for life" will make high quality, usually do well in college entrance examination students play a disorder but insulated from the school. In contrast, previous mediocre but excelled in college entrance examination candidates may get more "counter attack" opportunities.
Gold will shine?
Worth noting is, although it is often said that "the United Kingdom is lines, United States technical workers", compared to the United States, United Kingdom higher education admissions process did score card must also be more strict, but United Kingdom University admitted it is not "only on the college entrance examination", but has a complicated application procedures and selection of indicators.
Many universities, including Cambridge University at the check points at the same time, integrated assessment of the applicant's educational background, personal statements, letters of recommendation and transcripts, some programs also want to interview the applicant in some schools. As a long-term learning ability of quantitative proof of the applicant, the report card plays an important role. Is also key with a letter of recommendation, it is usually written by the applicant's high school classroom teachers. Cambridge University Admissions official website points out that references need to be mentioned in the letter the applicant ranking range in the past, academic progress, and its breakthrough during the reading subject both academic framework and innovative illustrations.
For students who wish to apply for Oxbridge undergraduate, the interview is forced to "hell". To study the candidates ' divergent thinking and problem solving ability, both "proud" School of design is a strange interview questions such as "what would you do if you were a magpie", "an experiment seemed to show more Welsh than English phone number is poor, that's why" such as "the God questions" is a typical representative.
For a long time, the complicated selection system will not only provide United Kingdom University to apply for longer periods of study linear appraisal of the situation and enable it to the examination of applications and overall quality make a full investigation. Is to a large extent, admitted to existing mechanisms are sufficient for the College in many xueba and PA to pick test "real horses" and avoid "high scores than lower energy demand" risks.
This shows that the "identification of gold talents" is not sufficient to explain the recovery has been working at the University of Cambridge entrance exams all the motivation and caused widespread controversy. In my opinion, to understand the deep meaning of this motion, perhaps from the United Kingdom game starting with this age-old topic of education between rich and poor.
Poor rich cheese?
United Kingdom dual education model was originally poor and rich historical tradition, after the promulgation of the elementary education Act 1870, with the wider use of public schools, forms the distinction between the public and private education system was established and continues today. Compared with public schools, United Kingdom private school is famous for its expensive, high entrance, just like "rich man's Club." Private schools, also to Eton, Harrow, Westminster public school, the school's most well-known, due to a long history, celebrities, cattle school enrolment ratio is high and referred to as "school", "Oxford training base".
For a long time, United Kingdom teachers of private schools with strong stability prevail in the entrance examination. But in this century, public schools catch up in their college entrance examination achievement and enrollment number two to catch up, United Kingdom brings the significant rise in the proportion of children in the schools. United Kingdom, the Telegraph reported, in recent years United Kingdom students admitted to top universities, born in public schools the proportion increased from 50% to 62.2%.
In order to ensure the interests of the dignitaries, United Kingdom schools keep inventing rules outside of the college entrance examination in recent years, one of these examples is to launch Pre-U (University preparatory course). As an alternative to a-levels and upgrade products, Pre-U is more difficult, the students ' research ability and breadth of knowledge is more demanding, the poor and the rich educational resources more in favour of the latter's children without peer. Therefore, since its launch in 2008, Eton public school, Brighton public school and many other schools have played down a-levels, Pre-U, be considered to be transporting private school students into schools of a shortcut.
In addition, additional entrance additional examinations are United Kingdom school important means of increasing Giants admitted chances for the children. At present, Oxford universities require applicants to take the entrance examination in most subjects. Of law of the University of Cambridge, biomedical, computer and other professional has additional test projects. If the Cambridge entrance exam policy extended to all professional plans come true, in the near future, the United Kingdom, "the Russell Group" dissatisfied with his a-level reforms in many of the schools are likely to follow suit, this is the United Kingdom our primary and secondary school students and parents and educators are the focus of the problem.
It can be predicted that if the United Kingdom universities increased independent entrance exams to become a trend, from rich families will be benefited. On one hand, they have the ability to hire professionals to study in private schools for students with major colleges and universities to independent examination of training and instruction. The other hand, the Giants family has enough economic strength to send their children to various "cram schools" that receive extra-curricular training school entrance examination. Yu Liu how to get to Denmark Comment on Fukuyama
In contrast, the children of poor family has neither the capacity of "special treatment", and cannot count on "lack of money lack of" public schools provide guidance beyond high school course outlines for it, the result can only be with top universities "drift away", in the end, college entrance examination this important promotion channels for poor families will be blocked.
Chinese students lay a gun?
Finally it should be noted that United Kingdom school trends for additional entrance examinations to Chinese students, and probably does more harm than good.
In the optimist's view, United Kingdom a continuing weakening of college entrance examination results, is to play a-level courses have been accepting domestic Chinese students also have the opportunity to participate in high school education United Kingdom university entrance test applications, so that high school students achieve college entrance examination in China and abroad "double insurance".
But, on the other hand, admission test to replace a-levels, I am afraid, is not conducive to Chinese students "weaknesses".
In the original application system, College applicants need only choose at least 3-4 a-level courses (A-Level more than more than 70 courses to choose from). Science Foundation of Chinese students, and science test on English language requirements on the low, choose mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and other subjects students can get high marks with relative ease. Once accepted mechanism changed, such an advantage that it is hardly obvious.
In addition, the Sunday Times recently reported, University of Cambridge entrance examinations may include language proficiency test, the thinking skills assessment and a 45-minute timed writing. If so, Chinese students may also as the Chinese and British ways of thinking, limited English proficiency issues occupy disadvantage in the schools applied for.
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