“Here’s a question for those worried about academic standards — how come the average entry points for science in universities have gone down significantly over the past few years, while the percentages of graduates gaining first or 2:1 degrees have gone up? And here’s another one – what has that got to do with the economy and saving money? Quite a lot, is the answer to the second question, but let’s look initially at the evidence for the first question, courtesy of work done by Tom Boland, chief executive of the Higher Education Authority. He noted recently that, in the universities, the proportion of students acquiring at least a 2:1 degree rose from 54pc in 2001 to 62pc in 2007. But this remarkable rise in attainment occurred alongside a drop of on average 40 entry points …” (more)
[Independent, 16 March]