Comment: The value of today's A-levels

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Teachers, too, should be thanked for their efforts to help pupils achieve their potential. Whether the examination itself deserves plaudits is another matter. The pass rate has risen for the 26th year in succession, and the number of A grades has reached a new high. More than half of all A-levels were awarded at least a grade B; nearly three-quarters achieved a grade C or better and one in four was an A grade. Government ministers react badly to suggestions of grade inflation and accuse critics of trying to diminish young people's achievements: the Education Secretary dismisses criticisms as a "sterile debate".

Nonetheless it is important to have this debate, because the real value of A-levels is at stake. It is difficult to accept that ever-rising grades are simply attributable to the fact that young people are dramatically better educated than they were. Some of the best universities, like Imperial College and Cambridge, are setting their own examinations in some subjects to obtain a better idea of candidates' abilities. A study published this week by Durham university suggests that a C grade 20 years ago is worth an A grade now. Certainly, the breadth of knowledge required in the curriculum is less than it was and coursework is notoriously difficult to assess.

None of this is to say that young people are not working hard. But the examination needs reform and greater consistency. Current moves to reduce the number of modules into which the exam is now broken will help. So will greater emphasis on essay work and end-of-course exams. Some A-levels are, however, less rigorous than others. Many young people are also shying away from demanding single-science subjects and languages, which would give them a firmly grounded education. Alevels are still a better indication of a pupil's academic ability than the diplomas with which the Government would like to replace them. But they need to be revised if they are to retain their reputation as the "gold standard" of examinations.