Rishi Sunak’s government has been accused of making the country’s stark educational divide even worse, as this year’s A-level results showed a “growing disparity” between the most and least advantaged students.
School leaders and experts blamed ministers for the “huge disruption” suffered by pupils in England after top A-level grades were subject to the biggest drop on record as a result of post-Covid grade deflation.
The “harsh” pre-pandemic grading system enforced in England saw a chasm open up with Wales and Northern Ireland, while results also revealed the stark North-South divide and the yawning gap in attainment between private and state schools.
The Ucas website crashed on Thursday after 73,000 fewer A* and A grades were given than last year and the pass rate hit its lowest level for 15 years, sparking chaos for the hundreds of thousands of pupils hoping to secure a university place.
Amid the scramble, Ucas figures showed that the number of students accepted onto UK degree courses had fallen this year, down 2.6 per cent on last year. It came as school leaders pleaded with employers to show “flexibility” over the huge change in grades from the Covid era.
Education secretary Gillian Keegan was widely condemned for telling pupils “not to worry” as she dismissed their fears about university places and jobs. “They won’t ask you anything about your A-level grades in 10 years’ time,” she told GB News.
