headteachers forcast end of the predicted grade system
...ests to be held for students who have not previously made indicative choices for the courses now preferred. Rapid electronic applicant and course matching will produce chains of decisions by students and universities, thus placing applicants quickly. SHA argues that the time between A-level results and the start of the university year can be increased from the present five weeks (average) to 11 weeks. It says a PQA system can be introduced for 2008 entry without the need for more than marginal adjustments to the timing of examinations or the start of the university academic year. To enable this, the examination process must yield some time. A significant amount of time currently absorbed by the examinations process can be released by reducing the burden of external assessment on students (as recommended in the Tomlinson report), increasing the use of on-line examinations and electronic transfer of scripts, and by speeding up the procedures of the awarding bodies, say the headteachers. Students can receive their results first in the process, as universities do not need the results in advance. Examinations could start slightly earlier, but without loss of teaching time. SHA believes the present admissions system is costly, inefficient and often involves long delays and needless duplication of effort. In each application cycle there are about 2.5m individual applications for courses, yet there are only around 460,000 applicants in the system. The higher education minister, Kim Howells, welcomed the proposals, which he described as "extremely helpful". The government has already asked Sir Alan Wilson, the director general for higher education and Leeds University's former vice-chancellor, to take charge of the work to implement the new system. Dr Howells said: "Sir Alan will study SHA's timely proposals with keen interest and will discuss them with a wide range of stakeholders as he consults on ideas for the new system and how the issues that most concern people can be overcome." The students have had to make their course choices far too early. The proposed system avoids these problems and brings a greater degree of fairness to the applications process." Mr Dunford added: "Through a unique convergence of events, there is now a rare opportunity to implement PQA and overcome the barriers much emphasised in the past. The Schwartz report has provided the impetus to change and the secretary of state the commitment to do so. "The interested parties - HE, the schools and UCAS - are in favour and improvements in technology for admissions, data handling and examinations can provide the time to make it possible." The SHA report today proposes a two-phase process for university applications: a registration phase from 30 April, and an application phase after results are published on 15 July. · The registration phase will allow applicants to make two or more indicative choices, which will inform universities and colleges of likely demand and provide time, where necessary, for applicant interviews, auditions and tests to be held between examinations and results. · The application phase consists of three rounds. In the first students make two choices, with priority blind, to the institutions selected. There will be time in this round for interviews and tests to be held for students who have not previously made indicative choices for the courses now preferred. Rapid electronic applicant and course matching will produce chains of decisions by students and universities, thus placing applicants quickly. SHA argues that the time between A-level results and the start of the university year can be increased from the present five weeks (average) to 11 weeks. It says a PQA system can be introduced for 2008 entry without the need for more than marginal adjustments to the timing of examinations or the start of the university academic year. To enable this, the examination process must yield some time. A significant amount of time currently absorbed by the examinations process can be released by reducing the burden of external assessment on students (as recommended in the Tomlinson report), increasing the use of on-line examinations and electronic transfer of scripts, and by speeding up the procedures of the awarding bodies, say the headteachers. Students can receive their results first in the process, as universities do not need the results in advance. Examinations could start slightly earlier, but without loss of teaching time. SHA believes the present admissions system is costly, inefficient and often involves long delays and needless duplication of effort. In each application cycle there are about 2.5m individual applications for courses, yet there are only around 460,000 applicants in the system. The higher education minister, Kim Howells, welcomed the proposals, which he described as "extremely helpful". The government has already asked Sir Alan Wilson, the director general for higher education and Leeds University's former vice-chancellor, to take charge of the work to implement the new system. Dr Howells said: "Sir Alan will study SHA's timely proposals with keen interest and will discuss them with a wide range of stakeholders as he consults on ideas for the new system and how the issues that most concern people can be overcome." The students have had to make their course choices far too early. The proposed system avoids these problems and brings a greater degree of fairness to the applications process." Mr Dunford added: "Through a unique convergence of events, there is now a rare opportunity to implement PQA and overcome the barriers much emphasised in the past. The Schwartz report has provided the impetus to change and the secretary of state the commitment to do so. "The interested parties - HE, the schools and UCAS - are in favour and improvements in technology for admissions, data handling and examinations can provide the time to make it possible." The SHA report today proposes a two-phase process for university applications: a registration phase from 30 April, and an application phase after results are published on 15 July. · The registration phase will allow applicants to make two or more indicative choices, which will inform universities and colleges of likely demand and provide time, where necessary, for applicant interviews, auditions and tests to be held between examinations and results. · The application phase consists of three rounds. In the first students make two choices, with priority blind, to the institutions selected. There will be time in this round for interviews and tests to be held for students who have not previously made indicative choices for the courses now preferred. Rapid electronic applicant and course matching will produce chains of decisions by students and universities, thus placing applicants quickly. SHA argues that the time between A-level results and the start of the university year can be increased from the present five weeks (average) to 11 weeks. It says a PQA system can be introduced for 2008 entry without the need for more than marginal adjustments to the timing of examinations or the start of the university academic year. To enable this, the examination process must yield some time. A significant amount of time currently absorbed by the examinations process can be released by reducing the burden of external assessment on students (as recommended in the Tomlinson report), increasing the use of on-line examinations and electronic transfer of scripts, and by speeding up the procedures of the awarding bodies, say the headteachers. Students can receive their results first in the process, as universities do not need the results in advance. Examinations could start slightly earlier, but without loss of teaching time. SHA believes the present admissions system is costly, inefficient and often involves long delays and needless duplication of effort. In each application cycle there are about 2.5m individual applications for courses, yet there are only around 460,000 applicants in the system. The higher education minister, Kim Howells, welcomed the proposals, which he described as "extremely helpful". The government has already asked Sir Alan Wilson, the director general for higher education and Leeds University's former vice-chancellor, to take charge of the work to implement the new system. Dr Howells said: "Sir Alan will study SHA's timely proposals with keen interest and will discuss them with a wide range of stakeholders as he consults on ideas for the new system and how the issues that most concern people can be overcome." The students have had to make their course choices far too early. The proposed system avoids these problems and brings a greater degree of fairness to the applications process." Mr Dunford added: "Through a unique convergence of events, there is now a rare opportunity to implement PQA and overcome the barriers much emphasised in the past. The Schwartz report has provided the impetus to change and the secretary of state the commitment to do so. "The interested parties - HE, the schools and UCAS - are in favour and improvements in technology for admissions, data handling and examinations can provide the time to make it possible." The SHA report today proposes a two-phase process for university applications: a registration phase from 30 April, and an application phase after results are published on 15 July. · The registration phase will allow applicants to make two or more indicative choices, which will inform universities and colleges of likely demand and provide time, where necessary, for applicant interviews, auditions and tests to be held between examinations and results. · The application phase consists of three rounds. In the first students make two choices, with priority blind, to the institutions selected. There will be time in this round for interviews and tests to be held for students who have not previously made indicative choices for the courses now preferred. Rapid electronic applicant and course matching will produce chains of decisions by students and universities, thus placing applicants quickly. SHA argues that the time between A-level results and the start of the university year can be increased from the present five weeks (average) to 11 weeks. It says a PQA system can be introduced for 2008 entry without the need for more than marginal adjustments to the timing of examinations or the start of the university academic year. To enable this, the examination process must yield some time. A significant amount of time currently absorbed by the examinations process can be released by reducing the burden of external assessment on students (as recommended in the Tomlinson report), increasing the use of on-line examinations and electronic transfer of scripts, and by speeding up the procedures of the awarding bodies, say the headteachers. Students can receive their results first in the process, as universities do not need the results in advance. Examinations could start slightly earlier, but without loss of teaching time. SHA believes the present admissions system is costly, inefficient and often involves long delays and needless duplication of effort. In each application cycle there are about 2.5m individual applications for courses, yet there are only around 460,000 applicants in the system. The higher education minister, Kim Howells, welcomed the proposals, which he described as "extremely helpful". The government has already asked Sir Alan Wilson, the director general for higher education and Leeds University's former vice-chancellor, to take charge of the work to implement the new system. Dr Howells said: "Sir Alan will study SHA's timely proposals with keen interest and will discuss them with a wide range of stakeholders as he consults on ideas for the new system and how the issues that most concern people can be overcome." The students have had to make their course choices far too early. The proposed system avoids these problems and brings a greater degree of fairness to the applications process." Mr Dunford added: "Through a unique convergence of events, there is now a rare opportunity to implement PQA and overcome the barriers much emphasised in the past. The Schwartz report has provided the impetus to change and the secretary of state the commitment to do so...