education

League tables drive degree class inflation | Letter

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With reference to grade inflation (Universities launch code to address concern over degree grade inflation, 10 October), the data on the increasing numbers of upper second-class and first-class degrees shows a direct correlation with the introduction of university league tables.

British universities are autonomous; unlike A-levels and GCSEs, universities set their own standards and mark their students’ work within broad guidelines.

Importantly, they also set their own rules for how a student’s marks are aggregated to derive their degree classification and there is considerable variation in these rules. Combined with intense competition between universities to recruit new students following the lifting of the student number cap, we have a set of circumstances that actively encourages universities to maintain or improve their league table position by increasing the proportion of good degrees.

Unfortunately, the idea that creating verbal descriptions of different standards will solve the problem has been adopted in the face of all the evidence that this cannot bring consistency. Agreeing the meaning of words such as “strong”, “sound” and “advanced” is an impossible task.

More to the point, for most institutions, a student’s degree classification is based on combined marks derived from coursework and exams within each course. To achieve a first, is a student to demonstrate “exceptional and problem-solving skills” in every piece of work?

A good start would be to remove degree grades from league table metrics. We have no evidence that they are comparable across subjects and universities. Retaining such a system places intolerable pressure on universities and academics to give the best grades possible.
Professor Sue Bloxham
Low Bentham, Lancaster

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