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Just in case I'm not the only old git here.The GCSEs that Paul talks about (general certificate of secondary education I think) only came into existence fairly recently. When I was at school people left school at 16 with no formal qualifications or; generally in less academic subjects, CSEs (Certificate of secondary education) or; for those who had more ability, "O levels" (the O stands for ordinary).Some schools let pupils stay on, generally for another 2 years, to study "A levels" (A for Advanced). If your school didn't have these extra years (usually called 6th form) then you could go to a college to do them.Just to confuse the issue you could also do "AO levels" (Additional ordinary) which covered the same syllabus but asked more searching questions. and, in much the same way, A level students could sit "S level" exams. (The S stood for special).In my parents' day it was different but I don't know a lot about it.It has become a fairly regular subject of controversy that each year for the last 15 years or so the pass rates have got higher in almost every A level subject. The Government who oversee all this system are at pains to point out that this is not because the exams are getting easier. Various experiments have, shall we say, brought this into question.Certainly the University lecturers I know now complain that, even with Grade A A level passes, the students joining University don't know as much as students used to.
The GCSE/A-Level standards thing is a bit of a minefield... it does appear to be the case that people reach uni knowing less (at least in physics and maths) than our parents generation did... and yet we have to work harder for it. I went up to Cambridge having worked much, much harder in 6th form for my A-Levels than my parents ever did at school (according to them) before they went to Oxford. This is partly because I did 4 1/2 A-Levels and they did only 3 (or in my dad's case 2, but he had to have a year off to learn some maths... he changed from medicine to physics before he started and found chemistry and physics weren't enough... this was back in the days of the 2E offer..)I'm inclined to blame at least in part the increasing reliance on coursework and the modular exam system... at least at the top end of the class it's possible to cram for modules and then forget most of it, much more than is feasible in a linear system (I know much more chemistry and french now than I do physics and maths... guess which were modular..). Also, time spent in class doing coursework under controlled conditions or revising for imminent module exams is time not spent learning new stuff.
"It annoys me when people say A-levels are getting easier. Maybe they are..." The observable truth is that the exams have got easier; why does it annoy you when people tell the truth? I could understand if you were saying that you were annoyed because the recent "A levels" no longer distinguish between those who really work hard and those who only work a bit.
Anyway the main point of A-levels, not vocational courses, in my opinion is to prepare you for university or equivalent level education. People still seem to be able to cope with the work at university so current A-levels aren't that bad (in my opinion).
In Ontario, we do Kindergarten - Grade 8 which is about ages 4 or 5 to 13 or 14. Then grades 9 through 12, with most people graduating at 17. In my day we had grade 13 or OACs, but they phased that out in 2003. Then depending on what classes you take during high school, we offer botheer college level and university level courses, you can go to either college or university. I will highly debate the benefits of college over university, with the exception of a 'professional career' (lawyer,doctor etc.) Side note, after 5 years of trying I am finally graduating highschool tomorrow!! Even though I've already done a year of college.