IT seems that I am naive, or old-fashioned in my thinking, because I have always thought a scholar who achieved a Grade A pass in the GCSEs had pretty well mastered the subject, up to GCSE standards.

Even a Grade C pass was, in my opinion, a very satisfactory result.

Now, however, the reality of the standards of today have been revealed, and we are told that pupils with marks as low as 45 per cent can get Grade A passes. Unbelievably, pupils can gain Grade C passes with marks of just 16 per cent. At what percentage do pupils actually fail?

This is a farce, or so it seems to me!

The Government's aim is to get as many students as possible into universities. So why not abolish exams in schools altogether? Already we are told that SATS are being withdrawn for seven-year-olds - and rightly so - so why not go the whole hog?

Exams have never been a completely satisfactory way of assessing students' ability. Perhaps a better way would be to have a teacher assessment of the students' progress through school, term by term, on each subject. This would give universities, colleges, and prospective employers a much more discerning indication of the students' overall ability, attitude and personality.

Attitude and personality being every bit as important as ability, and attributes that are not assessed in a school exam.

Just a thought!

Brian Derbyshire

Ribchester Drive

Bolton