Pupils can take pride in results

Aug 22 2008 by Toby Chapman, Liverpool Daily Post

THERE is a question that is brought out every August and dusted down for an annual airing: “Are exams getting easier?”

It is something that educators and pupils who collected their GCSE results yesterday would answer with a resounding ”No” – and yet the suspicion persists among many observers that a slackening of standards can be the only answer to rising exam grades.

Surely the heart of the matter is that exams and testing methods are constantly evolving. And, just because something is different, it doesn’t automatically follow that it is easier; pupils still feel pressure to perform, to prove themselves adept at their chosen subjects, and teachers must still strive to impart knowledge and ensure their young charges are equipped to meet the challenges.

So news that Liverpool has beaten the national GCSE average for the first time should be a cause for celebration, not concern.

Provisional figures show the number of pupils gaining five or more A*-C grades in the city is up nearly 10%, and Liverpool is projected to be around 2% above the national average.

In terms of A*-C grades for Maths and English, Liverpool’s GCSE results showed steady improvement, to finally begin catching up with the national average.

Notable successes have been notched up by schools, among them Fazakerley School, where improvements in grades put them ahead of government targets.

This heartening trend shows that all those involved – from the education authority to head teachers to parents – are getting it right.

The turnaround achieved over the past eight years is impressive, and indicates what can be achieved. It has taken time, effort, funding and determination – and there is still some way to go. Liverpool yesterday demonstrated just how much it has improved; the trick now is to continue that growth, to keep improving and moving forward. That really would be an A* grade that the city could be truly proud of.