Cleansing the Results for our Chums

I recall the anxiety and dread I felt this time. Truly I still sporadically have nightmares about results day and just how much hinged on it: a platform to the next four years of my life was contained within a few lines of text arriving in my email box at 9AM on August 13th 2018. Thankfully, all went well and I gave myself a lovely pat on the back; I was off to university (originally to study Physics but we don’t talk about that 1st year).

I dread to think, therefore, what the A-Level, AS and BTEC students are feeling today: their fates in the hands of government rather than their own diligence and hard work. As it showed in fact, their fate rested with their family income, where they go to school and their social class.

What we have seen from the government today regarding results today is nothing short of future generational social cleansing; shutting the door to social mobility and societal progression beyond the sea of polished white male faces.

The statistics tell the story on their own, with 35% of A-Level results being downgraded by one full grade[1] with the net results overwhelmingly favouring those from privately educated backgrounds while tossing aside those from poorer backgrounds: wouldn’t want them to get their hopes up of working in a well paying job now would we? That’s not their place!

“Critics pointed to the number of results at independent schools that were A grades and above jumping 4.7% year-on-year - more than double the figure at secondary comprehensives, which rose by 2%.... Selective secondary schools also saw a more meagre increase of 1.2%, while sixth form and further education colleges only saw growth of 0.3%.”[1]

This is but another explicit example of where this Tory government sees its priorities within society, namely: hang the world but for our well pocketed chums. Truly, this debacle pays testament to this as it now seems (explicitly, if it wasn’t clear before this year in any case) that your work means nothing if you don’t have well lined linen pockets.

On the face of things, the widespread backlash to these results seems to be paradoxical; this is what we voted for after all isn’t it? We knew the face of the Conservative Party but we let them in power anyway and what have we to show for it? Over 50,000 avoidable deaths in pandemic, widening economic inequality, exploding usage in food banks, ballooning homelessness, increasing public debt, a crumbling NHS, continued tax breaks to the very rich and the list goes on and on.

If we never wanted to see this level of regression, perhaps we should stop buying in to the profiteering fear mongers and vote for something that will actually change things. Might I suggest voting for the Labour Party? Just a thought.

[1] Allegretti, A. 2020. A-level results: Government accused of 'baking in' inequality with 'boost' for private schools. Available from: https://news.sky.com/story/35-of-a-level-results-downgraded-by-one-grade-figures-reveal-12048251