AS-LEVELS are “failing” and should be scrapped to reduce the stress that continuous testing causes schoolchildren, shadow education secretary Damian Green said this week. He warned that the Government is testing young people “to destruction”, and that a typical student of higher ability could face 95 different exams throughout their school career.
The breadth of study which AS-levels are intended to provide to sixth-formers could be replaced by a broadened general studies exam, teaching non-examined subjects, or by encouraging more schools to offer the international baccalaureate.