A-levels crisis: the alternatives to hyper-selective English HE

There are some good points here but Professor Marginson has clearly not worked in the same range of institutions that I have. It is by no means true that there are similar standards across UK universities from my experience. How could there be when some ask for A* grades and others for much lower ones? If you are a top student, you can manage your own learning and just need to be pointed in the right direction. For others, the system resembles a school and this explains the dissatisfaction of many HE staff. We did not sign up to be school teachers (having one as a father was enough to put me off that option). The government is on to something by suggesting an expansion of FE since that would result in happier students and staff. The former would break into groups that would have experiences that fit their talents and the latter would see a return to working in true HIGHER education.