Students’ mental health suffering due ‘unfit for purpose’ exam system
The current assessment and university application systems are not catering for young people’s mental health and require a shake-up, according to the new leader of a body representing headteachers at girls' schools.
Samantha Price, who is new to the role of president of the Girls' School Association (GSA), said using predicted grades to secure university offers can put students under an "enormous amount of pressure" during their final year of A-levels.
Price, who is also head of Benenden School in Kent, was forthcoming with suggestions of how things can be done differently. She called for a post-qualification application system to be introduced, and for the traditional nine-term degree to be reduced to eight terms.
In one of her more radical ideas, Price suggested it would be beneficial for the start of university to be deferred until January for first-year students, who would be able to use the interim period to gain vital life and work experience.
Explaining her thought process, Price said: "I think there's quite a lot of community work actually that young people would really benefit from getting involved in and that also really helps with mental health issues as well.
"So, I think if we could look at it nationally, and with imagination, I think there's an awful lot we could do that would be really beneficial.”
Price’s main issue, however, seemed to be with the use of predicted grades to secure university offers.
As a result, the final year of studies becomes all about whether students “make the grade”, she added, instead of enjoying friendships and taking part in life-enhancing extra-curricular opportunities.
"We have to recognise that there is a mental health crisis in our country's young people,” Price stressed. “Doing away with predicted grade offers and moving to a post-qualification system would minimise the negative impact of striving for the 'holy grail' of grades.”
Price’s comments come shortly before the results of a consultation into how students in England apply to third-level education are expected to be published, which is likely to recommend significant changes to the existing system.