York Guides

James Reed (Yorkshire Post)

FAILINGS in the A-level system are leading fewer students to study sciences and foreign languages, according to a Yorkshire expert.

Prof John Holman, director of the National Science Learning Centre in York, was speaking after CBI director general Digby Jones warned the nation's economy would be damaged if the country did not train more scientists and linguists.

The number of students taking physics, German and French at A-level all dropped dramatically last year as more are lured towards so-called "softer" subjects.
Prof Holman, a former secondary school headteacher himself, said: "The problem is complex but part of it lies in the examination system.
"Success rates at A-level are rising, but studies at the University of Durham have shown that it is easier to get good grades in some subjects than in others.
"A-level art is about one grade easier than A level French, and for A-level chemistry the gap is even larger. We need to level up the difficulty of the easier subjects to match the harder ones, so that subjects like French and chemistry are not disadvantaged in this way.
"Another disturbing fact is the proportion of successful candidates in modern languages and science who come from independent schools. In 2004, 60 per cent of all A grades at A-level in modern languages came from students in independent schools, and 46 per cent of all A grades in physics.
"It is a matter of great concern that students attending state maintained schools do not seem to have the same opportunities for success in these key subjects."
The National Science Learning Centre hopes to encourage more students to study science by providing classroom teachers with the latest scientific knowledge and teaching techniques. The national headquarters is based at York University with a regional centre at Sheffield Hallam University.