Labour`s university admissions reforms

Labour is right to pledge changes to the university admissions process which will avoid relying on A-level grade forecasts and halt the use of unconditional offers, but these proposals clearly do not go far enough (Labour to scrap "unfair" predicted grades for university admissions, 14/08/19). If Labour really wants to "level the playing field", it is essential to ensure the exams all abide by the same regulations and follow the same guidance on assessment; awarding bodies, furthermore, should be forced to compare marked papers with others from different boards so that there is consistency. Schools in the private sector should not be allowed to seek even more advantage for their pupils by using more lightly regulated examinations, like Cambridge Assessment`s Pre-Us. In fact, the only entry qualifications allowed for British universities should be A-levels, described by Ofqual as "national qualifications based on content set by the government", and BTEC`s vocational  qualifications. 

     Universities will undoubtedly claim that Labour`s reforms will not allow sufficient time either for interviews or for considering contextual information about applicants, but this is nonsense, especially as the threat of intimidating interviews often acts as a deterrent to application, particularly in the case of students from deprived areas. If auditions are required, or even a few questions answered, universities could use Skype of WhatsApp video, but generally, ability should be tested after three years of university education, not after eighteen years of disadvantage!