Grades too good to be true — there’s a simple way to restore credibility

AS improved university, A-level, GCSE-level and Leaving Cert results come tumbling out to distract us in the middle of August in these rain-sodden islands, I think it’s a good time to highlight the issue of grade inflation.

No one benefits from this — not those with firsts, super-firsts, As, Bs, Cs, etc.

The stupidity of these results ought to be obvious to everyone. Instead our intelligence is insulted by claims that teaching is better and students work harder than ever.

Anyone who utters such nonsense can only be speaking out of a vested interest of some sort. In recent days we have had photographs not only of students jumping for joy, but Education Minister Mary Hanafin doing so, too.

And we’re told that at one university, no fewer than 26% of the students were awarded firsts. If these results were credible, we would have to say it has now overtaken Harvard and Yale in the brilliance of its undergraduate intake. The solution to grade inflation is simple — just limit the percentage of firsts, seconds, thirds, etc.

If we refuse to discriminate, we might as well abandon exams and go back to the well-tried system of cronyism which they were designed to replace.

Gerald Morgan

School of English

Trinity College

Dublin 2