Letter: Letters: Science in schools

From PETER HUGHES

Your editorial states: ‘Students will not want to take two or three
A/S levels as well as a couple of A levels because A levels are what count
with universities and employers.’

As Patten is committed to retaining A levels, he must take positive
action to make A/S levels more attractive. There are two easy ways of doing
this.

First, to accept that two A/S levels are more demanding than a single
A level and to recognise this by giving additional weighting to A/S levels.
I suggest 7,5,4,3 and 2 points instead of the 5,4,3,2 and 1 as now.

Secondly, to ask universities to quote their requirements in the UCAS
handbook in points and not as A-level grades. This is done by many universities
already.

Schools and pupils would then see that there is an advantage (and not
a disadvantage as now) in taking A/S levels alongside one or two A-level
subjects.

Peter Hughes Westminster School London