A record number of students whose A-level results were graded by their teachers during the pandemic are reportedly dropping out of university in droves as “close to 30 percent” quitting some degree courses. One student, Vernon Sutherland, from east London, was extremely happy after he was given a place to read French and linguistics at Oxford University in October 2020.
He was awarded AAB by his teachers, which was just below the offer made to him by Oxford, however, he was still allowed to go.
However, he dropped out of the course after he failed a French grammar exam. Now, he is left with a student loan of £18,000 with no degree certificate to show for his efforts, reported The Times.
He told the publication: “It does bother me that I paid that money and I didn’t get a degree,”
“I am a little bit worried about the cost of those two years, where I, in essence, got nothing. I didn’t get a certificate.
“I don’t have a qualification I can put down on a CV. I have nothing to show for it.”
Oxford has reportedly one of the lowest student dropout rates in the UK.
He is now preparing to start a degree at a European university.
Data suggests about 75,000 fewer A* and A grades are likely to be awarded in England this year as compared to the last summer, according to an analysis of official data with an estimated one in five teenagers set to miss their first choice of university offer.
Writing for The Sunday Times, Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, said that teenagers receiving their A-level results must brace themselves for lower grades than last year because universities need to be able to properly distinguish between candidates.
She said: “During the pandemic, results were higher because of the way grades were assessed — now grades will be lower than last year and more similar to 2019. Pupils and parents might wonder why.
“It is vital that qualifications hold value so that universities and employers understand the distinction between grades when recruiting, and pupils get the opportunities they deserve.”
The Student Loans Company’s data shows that more than 32,600 students have withdrawn their loans in the last academic year, up from 22,652 at the start of the pandemic. A record 2.1 percent of student loans have been withdrawn in the academic year up to May.
On eight business and management courses, which are now being monitored by the regulator, dropout rates were as high as 40 percent. Across the country, a record 11 per cent of full-time undergraduates and 35 per cent of part-time students who started their degree courses in 2020-21 dropped out.
