Sixth Form Examinations in Art and Design

Examinations - in any subject - at 'A' level form the major influence on teaching the Sixth Form and the backwash effect of this form of examination has its effect through the earlier years of secondary education. The main objections to the present system is that examinations in the Sixth Form are too specialised and syllabuses require much study in depth. Contrarywise, when Art examinations are under scrutiny they are often criticised for lack of specialisation and depth of study. Often criticisms of art examination are vague and are simply side-swipes, which examining bodies are adept at parrying, whose power has been generated simply on the basis that certain students have not passed or gained the right grades, which a teacher believed they should have done