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| Do exam results really matter? – live debate | Do exam results really matter? – live debate |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 2.02pm BST | |
| 14:02 | |
| James Walsh | |
| A couple more views from our form, including from a reader who thinks that failing her GCSEs was the best thing that ever happened to her. | |
| I was part of the 88-89 cohort, which was the second year of GCSE papers and the talk of the school back then was that the Boards had “toughened up” the papers, particularly in the separate sciences, to try and ramp up the challenge from the inaugural year. Back then, there were no A*s, no “all coursework” subjects and a good mix of abilities in our very socially diverse comprehensive school. Twenty five years on, said school has closed, friends in my socio-demographic group send their kids far away from the ‘local comp’ and the house prices have suffered accordingly (i mean they’ve risen past the point where a correction makes a difference).My take on this whenever my children ask me about it is that grades can be awfully important if you DO know what you want to do and although it’s blindingly obvious, if one is sure about future direction, one should do everything in one’s power to get those grades for university or professional training entry. I am in the 20-50% of people who had no idea what they wanted to do. And if I’m honest, I’m still in that cadre. I still have no idea what I want other than to pay off my lovely little modest mid-terrace for which I paid £42,000 many years ago. In those cases, I am very unsure whether grades do matter much but the timeline to which I am working is much, much longer than most. I’m not even sure whether local government is the place for me but my job is challenging, it’s rewarding and I might just on occasion make a difference to the people I’m paid to help. This role required a degree level qualification but the subject wasn’t particularly pivotal. So in summary, do your best get your grades, but if you don’t, things can develop a little more slowly depending on your choices and circumstances. | |
| Domingo, Little Oakley | |
| Before results day I was swaying between doing A-levels or a college art course. My careers advisor at school told me I would never get a job doing art so I felt like I had to stay on at school. I didn’t have enough grades for A levels so ended up going to college. I got high grades because I was finally doing something I enjoyed. Then went onto university to do a course in visual communications and straight after graduating I landed my dream job as a graphic designer for a games company. Failing my GCSEs was the best thing that ever happened to me. | |
| Anonymous, Yorkshire | |
| 1.52pm BST | |
| 13:52 | |
| Sarah Marsh | |
| We are having a few technical difficulties in terms of comments loading below the line, hopefully it’s not causing our readers too many difficulties (drop me an email with anything you want to get on our live blog if you’re struggling, sarah.marsh@theguardian.com). We now have 10 minutes left. | |
| Look forward to hearing last comments on this subject | |
| 1.33pm BST | |
| 13:33 | |
| Why bad grades aren't the end of the world – by Peter Jones | |
| Peter Jones | |
| In response to our debate, we were sent a comment from the BBC Dragons’ Den star and business owner Peter Jones. He explores the idea that business might be a better option for some, and bad grades don’t mean the end of the world. He wrote: | |
| With today’s GCSE results showing the sharpest ever decline in good pass grades, it is more important than ever that we inspire our young people to continue to follow their dreams as they look to the future. | |
| I would encourage everybody receiving their results to make sure they are aware of the opportunities that lie ahead of them and choose the path that’s right for them ... By encouraging young people to think entrepreneurially, to seize opportunities and learn the basics of business, we give them the confidence to succeed and inspire them to be the best they can be. | |
| Today’s results highlight that enterprise education must be high on the agenda of Justine Greening MP, the new education secretary. We need to open our children’s eyes to the way they can take control of their own destiny by starting a business. | |
| Updated | |
| at 1.33pm BST | |
| 1.21pm BST | 1.21pm BST |
| 13:21 | 13:21 |
| What's a better measure of success? | What's a better measure of success? |
| Guardian readers | Guardian readers |
| One reader offers a suggestion below the line ... | One reader offers a suggestion below the line ... |
| A better measure of success would take away the emphasis that some subjects are more important than another. It would also have to measure success of those who are not academic but have other talents that society needs. In my view, the measure of success should also include how the student took part in wider school life. What the contributed to music, drama, sport etc. The reference I received from my Head teacher stated how many things I took part in swung my interview for University. | A better measure of success would take away the emphasis that some subjects are more important than another. It would also have to measure success of those who are not academic but have other talents that society needs. In my view, the measure of success should also include how the student took part in wider school life. What the contributed to music, drama, sport etc. The reference I received from my Head teacher stated how many things I took part in swung my interview for University. |
| 1.18pm BST | 1.18pm BST |
| 13:18 | 13:18 |
| James Walsh | James Walsh |
| Are employers too closed-minded when it comes to exam results? We heard from one postgraduate student who worries that her “blip” at A-Level will still come back to haunt her. | Are employers too closed-minded when it comes to exam results? We heard from one postgraduate student who worries that her “blip” at A-Level will still come back to haunt her. |
| I had a bad experience with my A-levels. 2 years previously I had exceeded expectations with my GCSEs and got 9 A*-B yet when it came to my A-level results I missed my required BBC for entry into my first choice university. I ended up getting BCD and going through clearing instead. I felt the jump to A-levels was too big and I got left behind. Fast forward 7 years, I now have a first class masters degree and about to go into my 3rd year of my PhD. That one blip in my exam results still worries me. What will employers think when my CV drops on their desk and they see my BCD? I think about how my application for a graduate scheme wouldn’t pass the first stages because the exams I did when I was 18 don’t meet their requirements. I find the reliance on exam results is a bad way to judge an individuals success but are required, however they should all look at the bigger picture. A lot can change between school and beginning a career. I am an example of that. Employers shouldn’t judge me based on some exams I messed up, I have a lot more to offer than that. | I had a bad experience with my A-levels. 2 years previously I had exceeded expectations with my GCSEs and got 9 A*-B yet when it came to my A-level results I missed my required BBC for entry into my first choice university. I ended up getting BCD and going through clearing instead. I felt the jump to A-levels was too big and I got left behind. Fast forward 7 years, I now have a first class masters degree and about to go into my 3rd year of my PhD. That one blip in my exam results still worries me. What will employers think when my CV drops on their desk and they see my BCD? I think about how my application for a graduate scheme wouldn’t pass the first stages because the exams I did when I was 18 don’t meet their requirements. I find the reliance on exam results is a bad way to judge an individuals success but are required, however they should all look at the bigger picture. A lot can change between school and beginning a career. I am an example of that. Employers shouldn’t judge me based on some exams I messed up, I have a lot more to offer than that. |
| Amy, Leeds | Amy, Leeds |
| 1.18pm BST | 1.18pm BST |
| 13:18 | 13:18 |
| Famous school flops | Famous school flops |
| Sarah Marsh | Sarah Marsh |
| 1.15pm BST | 1.15pm BST |
| 13:15 | 13:15 |
| We need fewer exams and more wilderness in education | We need fewer exams and more wilderness in education |
| Ben Fogle | Ben Fogle |
| Worth looking at this piece from Ben Fogle, and the impact exams can have on people’s confidence. Just because you’re not good academically it doesn’t mean that you don’t have a lot to offer. | Worth looking at this piece from Ben Fogle, and the impact exams can have on people’s confidence. Just because you’re not good academically it doesn’t mean that you don’t have a lot to offer. |
| Exams left me feeling worthless and lacking in confidence. The worse I did in each test, the more pressure I felt to deliver results that never came. When I failed half my A-levels, and was rejected by my university choices, I spiralled into a depression. | Exams left me feeling worthless and lacking in confidence. The worse I did in each test, the more pressure I felt to deliver results that never came. When I failed half my A-levels, and was rejected by my university choices, I spiralled into a depression. |
| The wilderness rescued me. I have been shaped by my experiences in the great outdoors. Feeling comfortable in the wild gave me the confidence to be who I am, not who others want me to be. There is a natural simplicity to nature; it is far more tactile and tangible than the classroom. It’s a leveller; it strengthened my character and set me back on track. | The wilderness rescued me. I have been shaped by my experiences in the great outdoors. Feeling comfortable in the wild gave me the confidence to be who I am, not who others want me to be. There is a natural simplicity to nature; it is far more tactile and tangible than the classroom. It’s a leveller; it strengthened my character and set me back on track. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.15pm BST | at 1.15pm BST |
| 1.12pm BST | 1.12pm BST |
| 13:12 | 13:12 |
| A few words from Twitter ... | A few words from Twitter ... |
| Good Luck to everyone getting their #GCSERESULTS today, I got 1 A, 8 Bs and a C and managed to do ok in life so theres hope. 😆 #YOUTH | Good Luck to everyone getting their #GCSERESULTS today, I got 1 A, 8 Bs and a C and managed to do ok in life so theres hope. 😆 #YOUTH |
| Don't worry about your #gcseresults. The best life lessons actually come from Father Ted... pic.twitter.com/VwSFF477a2 | Don't worry about your #gcseresults. The best life lessons actually come from Father Ted... pic.twitter.com/VwSFF477a2 |
| 1.04pm BST | 1.04pm BST |
| 13:04 | 13:04 |
| These grades are a part of the story of your life | These grades are a part of the story of your life |
| Susanna Rustin | Susanna Rustin |
| Of course exam results matter, though that doesn’t mean that disappointing or even heartbreaking ones are a burden that can never be shaken off. | Of course exam results matter, though that doesn’t mean that disappointing or even heartbreaking ones are a burden that can never be shaken off. |
| They matter because they will, in almost all cases, help determine what happens next. | They matter because they will, in almost all cases, help determine what happens next. |
| It’s good to remind young people that exam success isn’t the only route to rewarding work. I’m depressed by the backwards steps our system has taken, under Michael Gove’s influence, away from more subtle forms of assessment in favour of the blunt instrument of the exam. The primary research required by my coursework-heavy history GCSE required far more independent thinking than the heavily knowledge-based A level I did. | It’s good to remind young people that exam success isn’t the only route to rewarding work. I’m depressed by the backwards steps our system has taken, under Michael Gove’s influence, away from more subtle forms of assessment in favour of the blunt instrument of the exam. The primary research required by my coursework-heavy history GCSE required far more independent thinking than the heavily knowledge-based A level I did. |
| But it’s facile as well as philistine to suggest results don’t matter. They are not the be-all and end-all, and setbacks can be recovered from in education as in other areas of life. But like it or not, these tests are stepping stones and your grades are a part of the story of your life. | But it’s facile as well as philistine to suggest results don’t matter. They are not the be-all and end-all, and setbacks can be recovered from in education as in other areas of life. But like it or not, these tests are stepping stones and your grades are a part of the story of your life. |
| 12.58pm BST | 12.58pm BST |
| 12:58 | 12:58 |
| A reader's story – grades don't mean everything | A reader's story – grades don't mean everything |
| Guardian readers | Guardian readers |
| This is an interesting story in below the line. | This is an interesting story in below the line. |
| I left school with absolutely awful GCSEs (14 years ago now). | I left school with absolutely awful GCSEs (14 years ago now). |
| From memory, I left with D in Maths, double DD in science and E in pretty much everything else. I would like to blame this on my school (which was struggling badly, was being monitored by Ofsted) due to having a continuous stream of substitute teachers in science/maths in the most important year. Ultimately, I would blame myself, I was in the top sets, but it just bored me and I would no do any studying, and would even avoid lessons I disliked (Drama, RE, English). Once I got the results after taking the exams, it hit me about how bad I had done, that coupled with not just hanging out with my friends as much kinda sent me into some overthinking depression about how I had ruined my life. | From memory, I left with D in Maths, double DD in science and E in pretty much everything else. I would like to blame this on my school (which was struggling badly, was being monitored by Ofsted) due to having a continuous stream of substitute teachers in science/maths in the most important year. Ultimately, I would blame myself, I was in the top sets, but it just bored me and I would no do any studying, and would even avoid lessons I disliked (Drama, RE, English). Once I got the results after taking the exams, it hit me about how bad I had done, that coupled with not just hanging out with my friends as much kinda sent me into some overthinking depression about how I had ruined my life. |
| The reality is, GCSEs can be important, but also matter very little. I am now an Engineer within aerospace, which If I'm honest happened accidentally, and has propelled me up. My school did nothing to push people into engineering, I honestly can't even remember if we ever studied anything on it, but if it did, I would have most certainly had an interest in it. | The reality is, GCSEs can be important, but also matter very little. I am now an Engineer within aerospace, which If I'm honest happened accidentally, and has propelled me up. My school did nothing to push people into engineering, I honestly can't even remember if we ever studied anything on it, but if it did, I would have most certainly had an interest in it. |
| I guess my main point should have actually said, University/College courses are so varied these days, that you can literally get on them with years in industry experience, most wont even care if you got a D or worse in Maths, if you can at least backup that you understand it. They are more understanding to slackers in school who grew up. On top of that, if your company has faith in you, they would most likely be willing to fund you doing a degree with a contract that suits you both. | I guess my main point should have actually said, University/College courses are so varied these days, that you can literally get on them with years in industry experience, most wont even care if you got a D or worse in Maths, if you can at least backup that you understand it. They are more understanding to slackers in school who grew up. On top of that, if your company has faith in you, they would most likely be willing to fund you doing a degree with a contract that suits you both. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.58pm BST | at 12.58pm BST |
| 12.47pm BST | 12.47pm BST |
| 12:47 | 12:47 |
| What teachers are saying | What teachers are saying |
| Sarah Marsh | Sarah Marsh |
| A few teachers shared their views on this topic with us:Ben Morse, former head of department | A few teachers shared their views on this topic with us:Ben Morse, former head of department |
| Exam results matter in the following context: do you have an idea of what you want to study, or what job you want to do? Have you got the results you need to get there? If you haven’t, it’s not the end of the world, but take it for the lesson it is – either that’s not for you, or you didn’t try hard enough. You will face more exams in life. Defeat sucks, but is it’s own learning experience. If you got what you needed, congratulations. Hold onto that feeling and remember it when you’re face down in revision in the coming years. | Exam results matter in the following context: do you have an idea of what you want to study, or what job you want to do? Have you got the results you need to get there? If you haven’t, it’s not the end of the world, but take it for the lesson it is – either that’s not for you, or you didn’t try hard enough. You will face more exams in life. Defeat sucks, but is it’s own learning experience. If you got what you needed, congratulations. Hold onto that feeling and remember it when you’re face down in revision in the coming years. |
| Paul Clark, teacher | Paul Clark, teacher |
| Are grades the holy grail of secondary school? Grades open a few doors. They give you a few more choices. However, they do not map out your future. They do not give you eternal joy or guarantee you success in life. They do not make you healthy and fulfilled. The choices that grades give you are still yours to make. You will learn more from the process of making those choices than by the results themselves. You will make mistakes, hopefully you will learn from them. Your biggest challenge is making the right choices with what you’ve got. | Are grades the holy grail of secondary school? Grades open a few doors. They give you a few more choices. However, they do not map out your future. They do not give you eternal joy or guarantee you success in life. They do not make you healthy and fulfilled. The choices that grades give you are still yours to make. You will learn more from the process of making those choices than by the results themselves. You will make mistakes, hopefully you will learn from them. Your biggest challenge is making the right choices with what you’ve got. |
| Jo Grace, a sensory engagement specialist | Jo Grace, a sensory engagement specialist |
| Today families will be celebrating the achievement of milestones held up by society. Relatives will ring to find out what mark was scored. Congratulations will be passed on. To all those who have triumphed in the examination process: a very well done. | Today families will be celebrating the achievement of milestones held up by society. Relatives will ring to find out what mark was scored. Congratulations will be passed on. To all those who have triumphed in the examination process: a very well done. |
| Many families never have this opportunity for public celebration. Their children will go through exams, but of the medical kind. This does not mean those children do not achieve. Indeed their achievements are plentiful and extraordinary, but they are mostly hidden. There is no day in their life where everyone wants to know how they did. Their achievements go unnoticed, except by a small few. | Many families never have this opportunity for public celebration. Their children will go through exams, but of the medical kind. This does not mean those children do not achieve. Indeed their achievements are plentiful and extraordinary, but they are mostly hidden. There is no day in their life where everyone wants to know how they did. Their achievements go unnoticed, except by a small few. |
| And to those of you who didn’t get the letter on the page you were hoping for. There is achievement elsewhere in life that can’t be measured. Get up and push forward with what you are good at, try even though it is hard, and if you feel like you can’t, take a look at some of the children I work for and know that if they can do it, you certainly can. | And to those of you who didn’t get the letter on the page you were hoping for. There is achievement elsewhere in life that can’t be measured. Get up and push forward with what you are good at, try even though it is hard, and if you feel like you can’t, take a look at some of the children I work for and know that if they can do it, you certainly can. |
| 12.35pm BST | 12.35pm BST |
| 12:35 | 12:35 |
| 'Your grades are part of the story of your life' | 'Your grades are part of the story of your life' |
| James Walsh | James Walsh |
| We’ve been hearing from readers in the comments section below, as well as via our form, which you can contribute to by scrolling to the bottom of the live blog (or clicking here, if you’re that way inclined). | We’ve been hearing from readers in the comments section below, as well as via our form, which you can contribute to by scrolling to the bottom of the live blog (or clicking here, if you’re that way inclined). |
| I am a secondary school teacher and educator who has been working in many guises within education. | I am a secondary school teacher and educator who has been working in many guises within education. |
| I have spent a lot of time in different education systems and can say, hand on heart, from all of the experience that I have had, that the only people our current examination system benefits are league-table lovers and fans of computerised ranking systems that like having everybody categorised within the same system. | I have spent a lot of time in different education systems and can say, hand on heart, from all of the experience that I have had, that the only people our current examination system benefits are league-table lovers and fans of computerised ranking systems that like having everybody categorised within the same system. |
| Until we start educating in a way that explores “what are you good at?” rather than “how good are you at this?” we will forever be punishing our students to compete in a closed system wherein individual talent, creativity and passion are suppressed in favour of standardised expectations of what education is supposed to be. | Until we start educating in a way that explores “what are you good at?” rather than “how good are you at this?” we will forever be punishing our students to compete in a closed system wherein individual talent, creativity and passion are suppressed in favour of standardised expectations of what education is supposed to be. |
| I have yet to see a system that runs on standardised testing that has benefited the majority - which speaks for itself really. | I have yet to see a system that runs on standardised testing that has benefited the majority - which speaks for itself really. |
| Rachel Musson, Totnes | Rachel Musson, Totnes |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.37pm BST | at 12.37pm BST |
| 12.21pm BST | 12.21pm BST |
| 12:21 | 12:21 |
| Grades do matter – although they are not a reflection of ability | Grades do matter – although they are not a reflection of ability |
| Abi Wilkinson | Abi Wilkinson |
| In a system of entrenched social inequality, exam results are not an accurate reflection of ability, diligence or anything else they’re assumed to measure. They do, however, matter. Ironically, it’s actually the young people who face the most barriers to academic achievement who benefit most from good grades. | In a system of entrenched social inequality, exam results are not an accurate reflection of ability, diligence or anything else they’re assumed to measure. They do, however, matter. Ironically, it’s actually the young people who face the most barriers to academic achievement who benefit most from good grades. |
| For kids at prestigious public schools, failing their GCSEs or A-levels might be embarrassing but it will never be life-ruining. They always have other options. Perhaps their dad can give them a cushy role in his own business, bypassing the need for university altogether. Possibly, they might redo the year, with the help of expensive one-to-one tutors. Or maybe they’ll pursue a career in music or the arts, the financial support of their parents enabling them to undertake a series of unpaid internships to get their foot in the door. | For kids at prestigious public schools, failing their GCSEs or A-levels might be embarrassing but it will never be life-ruining. They always have other options. Perhaps their dad can give them a cushy role in his own business, bypassing the need for university altogether. Possibly, they might redo the year, with the help of expensive one-to-one tutors. Or maybe they’ll pursue a career in music or the arts, the financial support of their parents enabling them to undertake a series of unpaid internships to get their foot in the door. |
| For young people without these advantages, it can be harder to recover from disappointing results. Partly, it’s a self-confidence thing. People from very privileged backgrounds tend to have such a surplus that they’re able to weather a few knocks. Also, though, the reality is that bad grades do limit your options somewhat. There are alternative routes (such as Access courses) which are accessible to everyone, so nobody needs to give up on their dreams at 16 or 18, but let’s not pretend that exam results are equally unimportant for everyone. | For young people without these advantages, it can be harder to recover from disappointing results. Partly, it’s a self-confidence thing. People from very privileged backgrounds tend to have such a surplus that they’re able to weather a few knocks. Also, though, the reality is that bad grades do limit your options somewhat. There are alternative routes (such as Access courses) which are accessible to everyone, so nobody needs to give up on their dreams at 16 or 18, but let’s not pretend that exam results are equally unimportant for everyone. |
| 12.00pm BST | 12.00pm BST |
| 12:00 | 12:00 |
| The narrative that grades don't matter is entirely class blind | The narrative that grades don't matter is entirely class blind |
| Frances Ryan | Frances Ryan |
| It’s been 14 years since I got my GCSE results and I can still remember the butterflies in my stomach. | It’s been 14 years since I got my GCSE results and I can still remember the butterflies in my stomach. |
| I grew up in a family where I was taught education mattered, probably because few in my family were lucky enough to get a chance at one. Good grades represented more than a few letters on a page: they were a gateway to opportunities, experiences, jobs, and security. | I grew up in a family where I was taught education mattered, probably because few in my family were lucky enough to get a chance at one. Good grades represented more than a few letters on a page: they were a gateway to opportunities, experiences, jobs, and security. |
| As I wrote last week, the narrative that qualifications somehow don’t matter is entirely class blind: pretending that life chances look the same no matter where you sit on the socio-economic ladder. As if opportunities work the same for a kid from a council estate whose parents stack shelves and the offspring of a private school alumni with connections at a leading law firm. | As I wrote last week, the narrative that qualifications somehow don’t matter is entirely class blind: pretending that life chances look the same no matter where you sit on the socio-economic ladder. As if opportunities work the same for a kid from a council estate whose parents stack shelves and the offspring of a private school alumni with connections at a leading law firm. |
| There’s far too much pressure on teenagers around exam results and it’s vital there’s opportunities beyond traditional academic qualifications. | There’s far too much pressure on teenagers around exam results and it’s vital there’s opportunities beyond traditional academic qualifications. |
| But to ignore the importance of qualifications is to ignore how inequality really works. When it comes to life chances, Britain is still largely a closed shop. For working class children, qualifications are a rare way to break in. | But to ignore the importance of qualifications is to ignore how inequality really works. When it comes to life chances, Britain is still largely a closed shop. For working class children, qualifications are a rare way to break in. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.16pm BST | at 12.16pm BST |
| 11.04am BST | 11.04am BST |
| 11:04 | 11:04 |
| Welcome to our debate | Welcome to our debate |
| Sarah Marsh | Sarah Marsh |
| It’s the day met with a mix of fear and anticipation by students everywhere: GCSE results day. It comes shortly after A-level grades are released, and marks the end of exam result season for many. But how much does what you get really matter? | It’s the day met with a mix of fear and anticipation by students everywhere: GCSE results day. It comes shortly after A-level grades are released, and marks the end of exam result season for many. But how much does what you get really matter? |
| The Guardian’s Secret Teacher argued earlier this month that bad grades are not the end of the world. “What do exams actually test anyway? Memory, certainly. They test time management. They test elements of competence in individual subjects. But, ultimately, they really test how good a person is at sitting exams,” they wrote. | The Guardian’s Secret Teacher argued earlier this month that bad grades are not the end of the world. “What do exams actually test anyway? Memory, certainly. They test time management. They test elements of competence in individual subjects. But, ultimately, they really test how good a person is at sitting exams,” they wrote. |
| It’s true that academic success isn’t the be-all and end-all. After all everyone from successful writer Julie Burchill to media mogul Simon Cowell dropped out of school. Even Jeremy Clarkson spoke out about disappointing A-level results last week, tweeting: “Don’t worry. I got a C and two Us, and I’m currently on a superyacht in the Med.” | It’s true that academic success isn’t the be-all and end-all. After all everyone from successful writer Julie Burchill to media mogul Simon Cowell dropped out of school. Even Jeremy Clarkson spoke out about disappointing A-level results last week, tweeting: “Don’t worry. I got a C and two Us, and I’m currently on a superyacht in the Med.” |
| Sometimes not getting the grades you want can lead to better things. Carrie, 28, spoke to the guardian about missing out on her first choice university because of not getting the right grades, and ending up on a completely different path. She took a year out and eventually enjoyed a fulfilling art degree, instead of English which she’d originally set her sights on. She said: “It will only be okay – maybe even bloody amazing – if you make it work for you ... There is a reason for everything and a huge adventure awaits.” | Sometimes not getting the grades you want can lead to better things. Carrie, 28, spoke to the guardian about missing out on her first choice university because of not getting the right grades, and ending up on a completely different path. She took a year out and eventually enjoyed a fulfilling art degree, instead of English which she’d originally set her sights on. She said: “It will only be okay – maybe even bloody amazing – if you make it work for you ... There is a reason for everything and a huge adventure awaits.” |
| However, Frances Ryan argued that grades do matter for some – especially in our unequal society. She wrote: “Of course, a formal education is no guarantee of a fulfilling career or decent wage, and disappointing A-level results are not the end of the world (really, they’re not). But focusing on individual examples of success distracts from the bigger picture: the multiple obstacles that rig the system and lets society off the hook for eliminating them.” | However, Frances Ryan argued that grades do matter for some – especially in our unequal society. She wrote: “Of course, a formal education is no guarantee of a fulfilling career or decent wage, and disappointing A-level results are not the end of the world (really, they’re not). But focusing on individual examples of success distracts from the bigger picture: the multiple obstacles that rig the system and lets society off the hook for eliminating them.” |
| What’s more, others have argued telling students exam results don’t matter is dangerous because there is still a value placed upon academic success in the highly competitive modern workplace. | What’s more, others have argued telling students exam results don’t matter is dangerous because there is still a value placed upon academic success in the highly competitive modern workplace. |
| What do you think? Do grades still matter or are they less important in modern times? Did you succeed through other means? Join us from 12pm-2pm today to discuss. You’re also able to take part by filling out the form below. | What do you think? Do grades still matter or are they less important in modern times? Did you succeed through other means? Join us from 12pm-2pm today to discuss. You’re also able to take part by filling out the form below. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.46am BST | at 11.46am BST |