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A-levels "fall short" of much-needed university skills

Posted on 15th August 2008

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A-levels are not equipping students with the skills that they require for university, according to university admissions officers.

Malcolm Kay, the superintendent of ACS International Schools, said that although A-levels give students in-depth subject knowledge, they do not provide other important skills.

Mr Kay said that the qualifications did not offer students essential "soft" skills, such as leadership, organisation, self-management, community-mindedness and communication.

These are currently all viewed as core elements of the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, which is offered in a number of private schools and independent schools across the UK.

Figures show that only 53 per cent of university admissions officers thought that A-levels encouraged independent enquiry.

However, over 90 per cent thought that the IB provoked independent enquiry, with a further 88 per cent claiming that it nurtures an open mind.

The IB programme offers high-quality education programmes in a number of independent and private schools. There are currently more than 649,000 IB students worldwide. ADNFCR-921-ID-18734267-ADNFCR